ZENO
by 6Fortius9
Summary: To understand Zeno, how else can they do it besides going through those two millenniums of his memories? The gang finds themselves in Zeno's memories, while Zeno is reunited with Hiryuu, Shuten, Guen, and Abi. [Image by SubaruSumeragi]
1. Chapter 1

I.

.

 _Someone…was brushing her hair. That person…Who was it, she wonders. The hands combing through her scarlet locks were gentle, so much so that her heart filled up at every stroke that comfortingly graced her hair. Yona was almost reluctant to wake up, feeling the lull of the temptation to let herself be rocked back into a peaceful slumber by those warm hands. It was with much difficulty that violet eyes parted to stare into a set of equally stunning eyes._

"… _Are you awake?" He smiled._

 _Yona took a moment to take in the situation and jumped to the opposite end of the raft at once._

" _W-W-W-Who are you…?!" She squeaked. How did she end up here?! The last thing she remembers had been the sound of Yoon's even breathing beside her as she drifted off to sleep. Had someone kidnapped her?_

 _The elegant man tossed his head back with a graceful laugh. The chortle, however amused he was at her indignation, was a beautiful sound that soothed her with its sheer warmth and light. In the night where the full moon shone its unearthly light upon them and the cherry blossom trees danced with a lingering summer wind, Yona found herself staring with large eyes. The man just seemed so ethereal and beautiful, that she just could not help it._

" _Please, worry not about your safety, Princess Yona." The man offered a smile and the slightest of flushes graced his cheeks as if to emphasize his polite, gentlemanly charm. "My identity is irrelevant here, but it is of no interest to me to harm either you or your friends. I just…" A pale hand traced the edges of the raft. His smile glowed in the reflection of the pond. "…wanted to talk with you."_

 _A talk…Yona pondered, staring openly at the man. His dressing belied the air of nobility that he held and his smile appears full of innocence yet hid a depth that suggested his knowledge of greater things than she knew. In a way, he reminded Yona very much of two men: Soo-Won – here, she ignored the familiar twinge of her heart even at the mere thought of him – and now, a person whom she would not have thought of days ago, Zeno. A glint of gold, Zeno's colour, caught her attention._

 _She lifted her gaze to meet the redhead's eyes – and smiled._

" _Perhaps you desired a talk, King Hiryuu, but I doubt that is your only intention in crossing millenniums to meet me." She puffed her chest out, attempting to seem bigger under the wise eyes that hid the flicker of surprise with ease, and leaned in. "That dragon crest…It is Zeno's. Not to mention, your signature red hair is the first thing that gave you away." She tugged her own scarlet locks with a sheepish grin._

 _King Hiryuu blinked and chuckled into his hand, violet eyes turning into crescents._

" _You…are adorable, just like my Zeno." His laughter bated, the King turned his eyes to the moon._

 _Yona followed his gaze hesitantly, reminded of Shin-ha as she observed the night sky, illuminated by an infinite number of stars and that single, large, lonely moon. Come to think of it, back when they had first met, Yona had thought of Zeno as her sun, all bright and cheerful in the way he effortlessly lifted the spirits of the group. In retrospect, that cheer had probably been built on the two millenniums of suffering he went through…a strength based on the foundation of the pain that they were unable, incapable of protecting him from…a light that was made possible by Zeno's unending kindness and adoration for them all…_

"… _Don't cry." Hiryuu smiled as his gaze dropped back to her. However, even his brows were slightly crinkled with helpless sympathy._

" _I…" Yona sniffled in shame, wiping her tears with the corners of her sleeves. "I just wish I wasn't so…so powerless. I wish I could become stronger…even stronger-!...if only so that I can protect Zeno and the others; So that Zeno would no longer be forced to have that look on his face when he fights. I-I…I just wish I can do something for Zeno to help him…even if it is just a little…"_

 _Hiryuu made no motion to comfort her. She knew that he understood as well as she did that needless comforting would be of no help, especially when the one in pain was their Ouryuu and not them. He was her, and she was him. Zeno said as much, and so, she was certain that they at least share the same feelings for Zeno, for the too kind and gentle, strong and weak, bright but sad Zeno, who underwent hundreds and thousands of years of torment where neither of them were there to support him._

 _So instead of whispering kind useless words, Hiryuu tilted his head, smile slipping from his lips for the first time as violet eyes glowed magnificently in the moonlight._

"… _Do you wish to understand him, Princess Yona?"_

 _She sniffled._

"… _Yes." To know what lies beyond the sunny façade he puts up for them. To rescue him from his constant turmoil. To know the sacrifices that Zeno had made for them all, so as to treasure him more. To chase those shadows away from his eyes-_

"… _Even if it hurts both you and him? Even if your comprehension pushes him further away from you, are you willing to fight to help him? …To save your Ouryuu?"_

" _Yes! If I can support him just a little…Just like with Hak, I will do everything in my abilities, and if that is not enough to suffice, I'll become even stronger – until I can protect the ones precious to me." Her violet eyes steeled and burnt with determination as her tears dried and hands clenched into fistfuls of her pink dress. The faces of each of her friends – Hak, Yoon, Kija, Shin-ah, Jae-ha, and Zeno – flashed behind her eyes as she made her resolution once more, not just for Zeno, but for each and every one of them._

 _Hiryuu smiled gently at his descendent and rose to his feet, bringing a hand to pat her head._

" _That's a good answer, Yona."_

" _Wha-…" Violet eyes dulled and she slumped against him._

 _With strong but thin arms, the king lowered his reincarnation back onto his lap, fingers brushing through the red locks that spilled across his lap like a bed of roses. The corners of his lips perk up as their raft gradually approached its destination: a field of gold as stunning as Zeno's blond locks with cherry blossoms cascading down upon three men who were waiting for him. Shuten grouched as he picked up his weapon. Guen leapt down from a tree branch to greet him with a gruff grin. And Abi, who sat at the base of a tree, picked himself up and sent the blue canaries flying and squirrels dashing off._

" _Everyone." He smiles, his descendent laying dead asleep in his arms as he stepped onto the harbour. "Let's go find Zeno."_

" _Sure thing/Yeah/About time." Three responses, all coloured with each of their respective individualistic personalities, answered him._

 _The King chuckled._

.

A bead of water plopped to the ground with a clear sound. In the distance, beyond the golden fields and the wisps of scarlet red flames that was King Hiryuu, Yona heard Yoon's voice. The moment those hand had traced the crown of her head, her vision had blurred and faded. Yona recalls no fear, just a slight twinge of confusion before all things disappeared, swallowed by the surge of exhaustion that came so suddenly. Then, Yoon's voice became clear.

"…ona! Yona! Wake up!"

Violet eyes parted with a gasp. Yoon's expression as he leaned over her was one of panic, cold sweat trickling down his face. The air felt refreshingly cool – almost cold – on her face. The sound of droplets hitting ground multiplied and grew in their intensity into a rhythmic drone that would usually have Yoon sending out vicious orders, Shin-ah shivering, and Zeno running about happily with his hands up in the air, almost like a small child…Zeno!

She sat up at once, narrowly avoiding a painful contact with Yoon's forehead. She grabbed her chest as she remembered King Hiryuu and his words. To understand Zeno…His words hinted that it was possible to do just that, but even enough, she was still confused about what he was exactly talking about. But emotions and thoughts were irrelevant currently. Survival, above all else, comes first. Violet eyes danced around them, taking in their surroundings with growing panic.

Surrounding them was an unfamiliar shed, one which they had clearly not fallen asleep in. Their tent had all but disappeared. A few of their belongings and weapons lead around them, but that was it. It was almost as if someone had moved them in a hurry.

Yona released a bated breath when her gaze landed on Hak. Good. At the very least, all of them were here together…All but Zeno, she realized, and her blood ran cold.

"Where is Zeno?" She asks, attempting to calm herself down.

"Hm? Come to think of it…" Jae-ha helped Kija stand. "…We didn't see him."

"It's fine, isn't it?" Hak picked up his weapon. "I'm sure the old man's perfectly capable of taking care of himself. I'd bet he just ran off to explore after waking up."

"That Ouryuu…" Kija sighed in exasperation, a habit Yona noticed he had developed whenever Zeno acts in a manner that challenges his expectations of the four dragons. "…If he had woken, he should have woke us up as well!"

Shin-ah adjusted his mask as usual after he wakes, Ao squeaking adorably on his fur coat as she tried to regain her hold on him. Blue tuffs poked out from beneath the white wolf fur. He stiffened under Jae-ha's overly curious gaze as always, but it was the unusually loud gasp of the Seiryuu that caught all their attention. Hak remained casual in his stance, but his muscles became taut. Kija readied his claws, while Jae-ha took a step forward in anticipation. They had all learnt that Shin-ah's observations are never to be overlooked.

"…B-Blood…W-…What is this…?" A whispered question was stricken oddly enough with grief and horror. It was a question that Shin-ah would never ask, given all he had seen with his golden eyes.

"S-Shin-ah…?" Yona feared for the worse, tightening her grasp over her bow.

Shakily, the blue dragon rose to his feet and stepped forward. Ao was bristling on his shoulder, beady eyes turning to the door with much agitation for unknown reasons. Lightning flashed as the door was opened, and suddenly, everyone understood.

"T-This…"

"Wha…"

"…ngh…"

Yona clasped a shaky hand over her lips in disbelief, eyes widening as she continued to gaze at the sea of blood, the numerous bodies and limbs all strewn in the streets, the bloodied weapons that littered everywhere and any inch of space available. This…This…! Another flash of lightning. This time, she recalled her peaceful talk with King Hiryuu on that raft, their shared understanding about Zeno, and suddenly, in a manner that was more natural than it should be, she understood what was happening.

"Princess…!" Hak grabbed her, covering her eyes from the bloodshed, trying to protect her as always.

"This is worse than Zeno's fight…" Jae-ha commented casually, but even his voice was strained.

"What kind of battle must have taken place here…"

"Just…where are we?" Yoon questions shakily, hugging himself.

Yona knew the answer to that. No, she felt it, deep in her soul. They were somewhere they should not be, somewhere that never existed in their time at all…a place which only belongs in Zeno's memories.

Just then, Shin-ah gave another gasp that had them on guard again.

"Shin-ah, what is it this time round?" Kija flanked the Seiryuu's side as if to provide support.

"Oi, oi…Could this situation get any worse?" Jae-ha forced a smile.

"…Hak, release me." She said with unnerving calm, lips pursued in determination.

"Don't wanna." He replied bluntly.

"…Hak." Her voice showed her decision. Small hands touched the bigger ones covering her eyes and tugged them down gently. Hak relented, but still shielded her vision with his body anyways. Yona breathed and levelled her gaze with her bodyguard's, her friend's. Oddly enough, her voice was strangled as she spoke, filled with more pain than she wanted it to be. "Hak, if I want to understand, I must see this."

"…Princess?" His brows furrowed, as if he sensed something was off for the first time.

"…Zeno." Shin-ah whispered, breaking them out of their trance. A finger shakily rose and pointed in the distance. "…Ze…no…"

Then, he was running, mask covering the desperation which they all heard in his voice even with the rain tumbling heavily down upon them and the red blood which seem to cover every inch of the village's streets. They cried his name as they chased after him. Yoon hastily packed his medicine and the remains of their belongings before Jae-ha lifted him and leapt to the skies and joined them. Yona could hear the pounding of her heart, her violet eyes widening in realization and narrowing with grief as one tiny figure in the distance grew bigger, closer.

It was Zeno. He was Zeno, deniably, as those golden locks could only belong to their Ouryuu and the large turquoise eyes were just the same shade of blue as Zeno's eyes were. But he was six and he was much tinier than any of them could recall him being. He was dressed in unfamiliar rags, lacking the bright shades of orange and green he always wore, which were stained with the ugliest bloody red they all hated being on him. And Zeno, little Zeno, lacked all the cheer and sunshine and warmth that they so naturally associated with him, that it felt like they were looking at someone else entirely.

Their gasps of surprise failed to reach the boy who sat, crying his eyes out. He wailed, ignoring the cold rain which soaked him, turquoise eyes closing as he grabbed fistfuls of mud.

"…Mother…!" He cried, sniffling as he did so.

"This is…Zeno?" Jae-ha asks lightly, doubtful of his own eyes, and Shin-ah nodded.

"Did we go back in time?" Kija asks this time round, blue eyes large as his claws quivered, helpless before his crying comrade. Zeno looks so tiny…so unfathomably weak, unlike the reliable, cheerful countenance he always has on…that Kija wished for nothing but to hold the boy to his chest and comfort him until his tears stop.

"No, we didn't." Yona spoke up for the first time, her voice the only one that held determination amongst all that has thus far spoken up.

She understood. Yona gazed at the boy before her, at Zeno, her jaw sat with determination and just the slightest pain. Zeno was still crying, wailing to the heavens, and even though she wanted so very much to wipe those tears away and plant kisses to his head to quell the pain of the loss of his mother, she knew it was impossible. She took a step forward on the muddy ground, squatting down and leaning in, even though she knew, somewhere in her heart, that it was a futile motion.

"…Princess?" Hak intoned again.

She squeezes her eyes shut and dared herself to wrap her arms around the boy.

As expected, they passed through.

Gasps resounded. Zeno's crying continued.

Yona wanted to laugh but also to curse as she gazed at her own trembling, helpless hands and at the still crying Zeno. Her tears melded with the rain as she closed her eyes in powerlessness. The rain…does not feel damp at all. The sea of red from before had not stained her long cloak with red. She could not touch Zeno, and all she could do was to watch. She voices her understanding regretfully.

"This is…Zeno's memories." She utters, turning to gaze at her friends with a tearful smile. "King Hiryuu said…that it is possible to understand Zeno. I agreed to it even though I did not even know about the means that he was talking about it. I'm sorry, everyone, for involving you."

The silence that resounded as they took in her words seems to echo for eternity. There was another flash of lightning. She drops her head, wrapping phantom hands around the shaking shoulders of the tiny boy protectively, wishing with all her heart that she could touch him, to give Zeno the hug that he needs. When she looks up, her friends had a variation of expressions.

"King…Hiryuu…?" Kija echoed her, stunned.

"If that's the case…then King Hiryuu sent us here to watch Zeno's memories to understand him?" Jae-ha pieced together the given information, glancing to her for confirmation. She nodded after a moment. "I see…This is somewhat troublesome." He sighed, ruffling his own hair.

"If that old man knows, I bet he'll react negatively." Hak commented.

"W-Well, it is Zeno afterall. Even though he talks about those two thousand years so easily, I'm sure he's been through lots of pain." Yoon folded his arms and sweatdropped.

"Two thousand years…" Kija repeated, still dumbfounded.

They remained in a moment of thoughtful silence, heads bowing in thought.

"P'kyuu!" Ao decided to chirp in, gesturing wildly with her hands. It took a fair amount of lowering her body on her part before Shin-ha grabbed her gently and placed her on the ground. Without hesitation, she rushed forward, attempting to jump onto tiny Zeno.

"Ao…" Yona whispers in shock, catching the squirrel when she passed through Zeno. Unfazed, Ao continued to try, even going as far as to extract a peanut from her cheek pouches to use as an offering to the unseeing boy. As always, motherly Ao is attempting to help her distraught charges. Yona giggles into a hand, patting the tiny squirrel on the head. "Thank you, Ao. I'm sure Zeno is grateful to you as well, but he just can't accept your gift."

"P'kyu?" Ao cocked her head.

The men hesitated and gave in with a sigh.

"I reserve the right to know why Zeno's always calling me a 'kid'." Yoon stated in a grumble, looking away.

"I suppose it wouldn't be bad to be able to hold some secrets over the old man's head." Hak smirked.

"We're here to understand him, not to torment him more, Hak!" Yona scolded with a frown.

"Well, I suppose it wouldn't be bad to understand his weaknesses better, then." He amended, still with the same devious grin.

"That's still almost the same thing!" She pouted. Her friend never changes, does he?

"I, more than anything, want to know about his marriage life!" Jae-ha lifted a hand to the skies.

"And the pervert strikes again, huh." Yoon sighed.

"Thanks for the compliment." Jae-ha smiled.

"Yeah, yeah, you perverted green dragon."

"A-As for me," Kija brought his dragon claw to his chest, blue eyes hesitant as he spoke. "I wish to know more about the first generation dragons, as well as how I could further improve my use of my abilities."

Yona smiled. It was a goal that was just like Kija, as always.

All eyes then turned on their last remaining member.

"…Ao." Shin-ah answered simply, meaning he would follow whatever his squirrel chooses.

"P'kyuu!" The squirrel saluted them, and the men burst out in another exasperated squabble.

Yona watched Hak land a kick on Jae-ha, who whimpered in pleasure, garnering disgusted groans, and couldn't help the smile that crossed her face. Everyone is so bright, as usual, even with the rain falling around them and blood soaking the ground. Violet eyes turned to Zeno, who sat quietly, unable to cry any more, and she observed the emptiness in those turquoise eyes. If only they could share a bit of their brightness with Zeno…How good it would be, to repay their sun with the warmth and protection he gave them. Still, it was a great relief to know that everyone was with her and feel the same about their sun.

"Thank you, everyone." Yona whispered. She smiled at them.

Though the words were unheard amidst the rain and the roar of the thunder, they returned the smile, eyes shining bright.

.

 _It took a moment to recall where he had felt the gentle caress of his hair. Hiryuu…That's right, King Hiryuu is the one who had that habit, so much that his wife often even felt jealous…though embarrassingly enough, it was of King Hiryuu being the one to caress Zeno's hair, rather than her. Those gentle hands feel so nostalgic…even the humming of his voice sounds exactly the same._

 _He always did have good memory._

 _Turquoise eyes parted to gaze up at violet eyes, exactly the same as he remembered them. A shade more royal than the Miss', lashes long and casting shadows upon pale cheeks, glowing ethereally with constant adoration for all his dragons each time his gaze lies upon them. Those eyes were the ones he had seen numerous times in his dreams, simply staring quietly, simply observing, before a smile would grace his face and the dream would end, leaving Zeno in tears for more times than he could bother to count._

 _This must be a dream._

" _King Hiryuu." He greeted as he always did before his king's death, sitting up straight. He pushed back his wild locks, lips twisting up into a practiced smile. "How many times must Zeno tell you…Please don't mess with Zeno's hair already; it's messy enough as it is!"_

 _Surprise flickered through violet eyes, then understanding. Hiryuu smiled kindly, gently._

" _Your speech pattern has changed, Zeno." His eyes turned into crescents, red locks spilling over his shoulder as he tilted his head in amusement. "But as always, you are adorable in my eyes. That untameable mane of yours is but one of your numerous charms, my Zeno. Just as Shuten's bewildering recklessness is one of his less comprehensible charms in my eyes."_

 _No sooner had he finished that sentence, said Ryokuryuu fell from the skies._

" _You blockhead king…What did you say about me?!" Shuten growled._

" _That you are endearing and very lovable." Hiryuu's smile grew wider in amusement. "Or am I wrong to say so?"_

 _It was that same smile that always unravelled them, making them into a stuttering, blushing mess, not unlike children before the eyes of the ones whom they admire. Shuten always splutters at that smile, flushing just the lightest despite his manliness, Zeno thought, and as always, Abi would appear in the corner to correct the King in his evaluation of the Ryokuryuu's character, just like now-_

" _Indeed, my king, his recklessness is a charm. A charm for danger, that is." Noble Abi with his beautiful eyes gazed down at them, lightly trailing a delicate finger down the back of a blue bird that rested on his shoulder. His eyes were uncovered, just the way Zeno recalls them being for the most of their lives._

" _What are you…Are you picking a fight with me, huh?!" Shuten flashed his weapon, a tick mark on his face._

" _Come at me whenever you're ready, you brute." Abi readied his eyes._

" _Oh! A fight?! Let me join in!" Guen shows up, brandishing his claws. The circle is complete._

 _A resounding clap stopped the usual antics, drawing all eyes to the King. Hiryuu beamed at them, once more leaving everyone guilty with his silent smile, and slowly rose to his feet, brushing the pink petals off his gown. The graceful king glided rather than hopped away from the cherry blossom trees and headed towards that one shed in the distance. Wordlessly, his simple action of looking back at them commanded them to follow, and Shuten and Guen did so with their usual banter between them. The King chuckled as his two strongest protectors flanked his sides and walked alongside him._

"… _Are you not coming?" Abi asks silently after leaping off the tree._

 _Zeno blinked as he lifted his head for the first time and found beautiful golden orbs staring into his eyes, an action which reminded him of that day – when Guen told him to find him, Shuten told him to bring liquor, Abi cried, and he cried together in his heart even as he smiled. The blue bird on Abi's shoulder chirped, and Zeno smiled. Was it real? Was it fake? He did not even know now._

 _He stood and followed, side by side with Abi as they traced the footsteps of their king and their fellow warriors._

 _If this is a dream, Zeno will play along with it until he wakes._

 _._

The scenery changed and suddenly, they found themselves in that same shed as before. This time, the drone of the heavily tumbling water droplets was no longer present. Instead, the light hearted chirps of birds took its place, replacing rain with sunshine, coldness with warmth, darkness with light. Yona blinked, realizing that Zeno was no longer in her arms, and glanced around in search of him. It took no time, considering that Zeno was bandaging himself at the corner of the room.

"I wonder…Does Zeno live in this shed?" She looked around for signs of toys, things which she believed were the essence of all childhood. Instead, she found no balls, no colours, and nothing that indicated that this shed was lived-in by a child.

"The room is quite bland." Jae-ha commented, recalling his own childhood. Even with the chains and the torment, there had at least been some storybooks that the villagers gave to appease his curiosity about the outside world. It was how he learnt about the founding legend afterall.

"It must be difficult, for a young boy to learn how to survive by himself." Kija frowned in sympathy.

Yoon frowned at his words and squatted down to observe Zeno's work instead.

"Mh, it's not excellent, but it's good enough." He nodded. "At least he knows how to bandage his own wounds and prevent possible infections."

"…Ao." Shin-ah shifted his hands nervously. "Don't."

The squirrel had hoped onto a barrel which had previously not been there. With large beady eyes dewy with a familiar look of hunger they were all too used to, the squirrel was trying to chew open the barrel, even when her teeth merely passes through it. Hak scratched his neck as he stared at the barrel curiously.

"I wonder what it is." He said.

"If I have to guess, I'd bet that it is some crops. When we were running out earlier, I saw a farm in the distance. I guess the farmer and his family were also afflicted in the tragedy." Yoon did not lower his eyes in discomfort despite that. Afterall, it happened in the past, and there was nothing they could do to prevent it.

"Huh."

"…Good."

"Eh?" A chorus of confused voices was met with determined turquoise eyes.

Yona found herself taken aback by the look in Zeno's eyes as he patted his now bandaged palms, rising to his feet. Lips pursued and eyes burning with resolution, he picked up a farmer's shovel outside the door of his house and puffed his chest out, speaking to himself with a voice, hoarse from the lack of use.

"…It's time to work." He uttered.

It was only then that they realized. The village was too normal. Where the bodies and weapons had littered the streets, there was now just the faintest hint of blood splatters, but even those were faint and indicative of the effort of somebody to clear up the mess. They turned to Zeno as they began to notice the bandages that were wrapped around small palms, the bright smile with a hint of strength and loneliness, and more than that, the tiny back of the small Zeno as he heave the shovel onto one shoulder.

"Come to think of it, Zeno still hasn't gained the powers of Ouryuu yet, has he?" Jae-ha pointed out, as if reminding himself.

"That is correct. The dragon warriors were only born when King Hiryuu is in danger, but it seems like that time has yet to come." Kija nodded.

"To be more accurate, the time has already went, but we're just looking at the old man's memories of the past, right?" Hak smirked cheekily.

"D-Don't be so fussy about the details!" Kija stuttered, and Hak smirked wider.

"Zeno…is strong." Yona stated, admiring the small back of the boy. "That time, when we were chased out of the castle…Even though I was way older than him when it happened, I had to rely on Hak and others to survive. I couldn't pick myself up without the support of others, and yet, Zeno did it so easily."

"Well, the Princess is different, that's why." Hak stated in a matter of fact manner.

"Eh?"

"That's right, Yona, Kija and you grew up with a sheltered childhood, unlike Zeno or us. It is admirable enough that you guys are constantly pushing yourselves to become stronger and catch up with us." Yoon agreed.

"B-But…" Yona paused. She never thought of it that way. "…Thank you, Yoon."

"Not at all." He smiled.

They trailed after the blond child in silence, watching as he occasionally stop by each house to arrange some items which has fallen out of place. At times, Zeno would kick down a half broken door and carry it away with much effort. Other times, it is just to upright a fallen chair or even just pushing mere furniture in place. It was amusing watching the blond child fuss over the trivial details he came across.

"Zeno is surprisingly meticulous." Yona giggled.

"Well, he does help me arrange my medicine bottles often with surprising speed." Yoon deadpanned. "Sometimes, I wonder if he's being messy on purpose."

"Well, he did seem to be raised by his mother only." Jae-ha blinked at the confused stares he was given and smiled. "Back there, when he cried, he only cried for his mother, remember?"

The mood darkened a little at the memory, but they hummed in understanding.

"That explains why Zeno is so often gentlemanly towards women." Yona chuckles into a hand. "He would always offer to help me carry some firewood and clothes, and he would hold doors open for me. At times, he would even find flowers and offer them to me!"

"Y-Yona…You're compromising Zeno's safety right now." Yoon sweatdropped as he glanced at a dark-faced self-proclaimed Dark Dragon from the corner of his eyes.

"Eh? What did you say?"

"N-No. I didn't say anything at all!"

"It figures why Zeno is as chivalrous as me now, doesn't it?" Jae-ha beamed.

"No…Rather than chivalrous…" Yoon deadpanned, leaving the rest unsaid.

"Don't group yourself with the old man, Droopy eyes. He at least does not have hidden intentions like you."

"How mean…" Jae-ha smiled.

"It unnerves me to ask, but…Just where is Zeno heading for, specifically?" Kija questions as he ignored the light-hearted banter.

"That's…of course…" Yoon's smile faltered, discomfort evident on his face as he trailed around the subject.

With the exception of Jae-ha, whose smile seems strained, Shin-ah, and Hak, the rest of the group were visibly distraught by the faint idea which they already had. Someone had cleaned up the village, and that someone was Zeno. From the looks of things, Zeno must have been working for a long while, and his words just before he left the shed…

Yona's eyes darkened. Was this what Zeno went through? To have to bury his village one by one all alone…She couldn't possibly imagine having to bury her friends all by herself. Why was it that nobody survived to help Zeno in his time of need?

Observing her expression, Hak narrowed his eyes.

Finally, they arrived at their destination, which was just as they suspected. Yona cringed at the ominous sight of so many grave stones sticking out from the ground while Yoon clenched his fist and Shin-ha stared with a partially parted mouth, but Zeno was unfazed as he hopped over, bandaged palms grabbing the handle of the shovel firmly.

"Thirty-five…No…Thirty-eight…?" Zeno pondered to himself, turquoise eyes inquisitive and just the slightest dark. He plopped down on the ground in thought. "Yesterday, there was Kim-Soo, Jonah, and Tae-Wee. There was also the bread shop auntie who made the cow-shaped bun, and the tailorshop uncle who likes blue fabrics and…"

Yona flinched when she gazed at his eyes. The always bright and cheerful turquoise was nowhere to be found, replaced by a murky dark blue that was like the colour of the deepest part of the ocean.

"To remember each and every one so clearly…" Yoon uttered in sympathy. "…It must hurt to say their names."

"But if he doesn't remember, there would be no one who does." Hak spoke, shadows lingering in his blue orbs as he scowled. "There would be no one to remember that they lived."

Yona looked down. Her father would certainly be remembered for history as a foolish king, but will his kindness, his words, and his smile be remembered…?

"Five more, right!" Zeno leapt to his feet with a bright grin. "Five more, and it's all over!"

Something about the way he said it strike her.

"…all over…?" She repeated, trying to understand. She blinked in disbelief. "…Suicide…?"

"Eh?!"

"I-It can't be that, Princess. Afterall, despite his age, Ouryuu is strong." Kija shook his head, but even he appears shaken by the possibility.

"He survived anyways, so if he's really thinking about that, then there should be someone who'd stop him." Hak stated, following after Zeno as the boy began to wander to a different spot. "There's no need to worry."

"Y-Yeah…" But no one could really cease their anxiety.

Everyone is worried, Yona thought. Afterall, if Zeno had really thought about suicide once, would that not mean that he has thought about it many times in the later part of his life? The worse truth possible was that he was granted immortality as Ouryuu despite wishing for death. Despite his constant smiles, Yona found herself once more wondering if the Zeno who had been with them all this time was an illusion, a strong front put up by him for them. She wonders…How broken is Zeno truly, under the many layers of smiles and cheer and warmth.

The Zeno before them was blind to their presence as he picks up the shovel and began digging. A tiny child no older than seven, digging up graves in order to bury the corpses of his village, his family…

"I wonder how Zeno turned out the way he did." Jae-ha thought aloud, and Kija agrees with a hum.

"If only we can support him right now at this moment…" Yona voiced her hopes for the first time and was met with helpless gazes. Of all things the princess desired, this was the one thing they were powerless to grant her.

"We can only watch, Yona." Yoon grabbed her hand. Like that day when they watched the cremation of the child they failed to protect, they watched Zeno pick up the remains of his village and put them into the ground. "This has already happened, so we can't change it. But if there's anything we can do, it would be to watch this, bear the pain, and when we go back to our time, help Zeno with all his unresolved trauma."

"Mh." Yona nodded despite her tearing eyes.

Zeno buried corpses for the entire day, working under the hot sun to dig holes into the ground and gingerly placing the decaying corpses into the holes. They withheld winces at the revolting stench of rotting flesh but comforted themselves with the fact that Zeno must have it worse, being closer to the corpses. The sun went up. Zeno gasped and took a small sip of water before continuing. Almost tirelessly, he worked until the bandages on his hands turned brown and were unravelled.

Sometime into the day, members of the group became aware of a set of eyes watching them. Shin-ah was the first, followed by Hak and Jae-ha, then Kija. Sensing the lack of killing intent, they merely kept a tab on the guy watching them.

It was evening when the man revealed himself.

"Are you alone, boy?" The man asks with a kind smile.

He was a man who was dressed in dark garbs and carried just a single sack over his back. With shaggy grey hair flowing to his neck and heavy bags under the dark eyes that peered out gently at Zeno, it was difficult for them to find him suspicious at all. Zeno appears to think the same as he looked up inquisitively at the man, a grin on his face as he shook his head.

"I'm not alone, Mister!" He beamed. "Afterall, the village is with me!"

"Village…?" Kija wondered if he was referring to the buildings – the remains of a large family torn down by battle – or the people who were now dead and gone.

"This man seems strange." Yoon said wryly, and the four other men shot him discrete looks. So even Yoon thinks the same.

"…I see." The man took a cursory glance at the graveyard and sat down. "My name is Shouyu. May I ask what your name is?"

"He somehow seems suspicious, Zeno. It's better not to-"

"Zeno! My name is Zeno!" The cheerful boy said, oblivious to Yoon's attempts to wisen him up.

Yoon facepalmed and sighed while Jae-ha chuckled.

"It seems like Zeno used to be quite a trusting little boy, unlike a certain someone." He glanced at Hak.

"Is that an admission of your perversion or is it a plea for some pain?" Hak lifted his weapon threateningly.

"Now, now, everyone." Yona smiled at them.

"…Medicine."

"Eh? Shin-ah, did you say something?" Yona titled her head in confusion when he pointed at the man's bag.

"Medicine." He repeated as if willing her to understand.

"He's a doctor, huh." Yoon said, and Shin-ha nodded in agreement. "I wonder what he came here for. Perhaps, he heard of the battle and wanted to help any possible survivors? He also seems like a traveller with his light baggage…"

"Zeno. It's a cute name." Shouyu smiled, and Zeno blinked.

"…Cute?" He cocked his head in confusion.

"…Little Zeno is cute." Yona and Yoon said together after a moment of staring. Ao squeaked and jumped onto Yona's shoulder, snuggling up to her cheek. The girl smiled fondly as she giggled. "Ao is cute too."

"What about me, Princess?" Kija pointed at himself.

"And me?" Jae-ha laughed.

"And me." Hak joined the two dragons in the pointing.

"Kija is cute. Jae-ha is cool. And Hak is not cute or lovable at all." She replied at once.

"It's the first time anyone called my name cute…" Zeno laughed. "Thank you, Mister Shouyu!"

"And so polite too…" Shouyu smiled, the edges of his eyes crinkling. "You are a nice child, Zeno."

Something about his words triggered something in Zeno. The group stilled as they watched turquoise eyes darken to blue and his grasp on the shovel tightened. Zeno turned away, lips forced into a tight smile as he continued his shovelling, back turned to the weird man, Shouyu, who had straightened as well, sensing the effect his words had on the small child.

"I'm not a nice child, Mister." His voice was closed off.

"…Why?"

"I…I abandoned my mother. That time, when the soldiers were attacking the village…My mother told me to run away because her leg has always been bad. Even though I didn't want to do it…I still left her behind. And now, she's dead, like the rest of the village." His shoulders shook slightly as his voice turned tight. "I…I let my mother be killed. And because I was weak…I ran." Light sniffles reach their ears and tears escaped turquoise eyes as he continued to shovel weakly. "I'm…totally not a nice child at all."

"Zeno must have been pretending to be strong." Yona stated, pursuing her lips. "All this time, when he cleared the bodies of his loved ones…It must have been painful…"

Jae-ha thought about his predecessor, about how he had laughed when calling him an idiot, telling him to run away, and he exhaled.

"I don't think Zeno was thinking about suicide at all back there, Yona." He smiled. "Afterall, if his mother really did sacrifice herself to keep him alive, there is absolutely no way our Ouryuu would think about trampling upon her sacrifice by committing suicide."

Violet eyes blinked, surprised.

"Is that why you intend to atone for your crime? …By spending the rest of your life in this ghost town…living in the past?" Shouyu tilted his head. "If that is the case, then it is the same as not living at all. The only way one can live is by facing forward, looking towards the future. Right now, living as you are, you are simply trampling upon your mother's sacrifice, Zeno."

"He's right." Jae-ha nodded in agreement, surprisingly with his sentiments echoed by Kija.

"But isn't that sort of harsh for a child?" Yoon questioned.

"It may be, indeed, but this man – Shouyu – speaks only of the truth. Even within the village of the Hakuryuu, we honour our god by looking towards the future where we can serve the king. We do not linger on the past if it will only compromise our future. That is the rule by why we have lived with to ensure our survival through the years." Kija shared.

Jae-ha paused as he wondered vaguely if this was the reason the village of the Hakuryuu and Ryokuryuu seemed so different. Afterall, the village of the Ryokuryuu had been hanging over the incident nearly nine decades ago where the Ryokuryuu led danger to the village. Thanks to that, they now lack a Ryokuryuu who could potentially protect them in times of need (like Seiryuu does with his own village).

"Even so, this man seems too emotionally invested." Hak observed.

"What do you mean?" Yona furrowed her brows. Hak only stared intensely.

"But what choice do I have? I'm young, and the other villages are scary." Zeno looked down. "This village is the only place I have known for all my life."

"Why don't you come with me?" Shouyu offered.

"So that's his intention, huh." Hak sighed.

"Join me on my journey, Zeno, and we can see the other villages together. It may not be much, considering that I'm often sleeping under the stars and quite frankly, jobless, but at the very least, it's better than living in a ghost town like this."

"…Are you serious, Mister?"

"Very much so." The man chuckled.

Zeno blinked again, sniffled, and wiped away his tears.

"Then…Please take care of me from now on, Mister!"

Shouyu gave a gentle smile and dropped his bag.

"Right! And I'll start by helping you dig!"

"Oh, no, you'll damage your clothes, Mister!"

"It's nothing!"

"Jeez…Who is he to worry about someone else's clothes?" Yoon deadpanned, recalling the numerous clothing he had to mend because Zeno ruined them in a fight.

"Zeno somehow reminds me of you, Yoon." Yona giggled.

"Huh?!"

"Afterall, he's just like how you are when you took care of Ik-Soon." She pointed out, and the boy flushed in embarrassment.

"T-T-T-That's-" Another giggle, and his face turned redder.

Shin-ah frowned as he crouched down over the bag, eyes widening behind the mask at the scribbling on the few bottled medicine. A paper was squashed in the bag, with a single word visible on it. 'Leg'…What was the man doing with medicine for the legs if he is not a doctor?

.

Author's Note: 7294 words 16 pages

#Personality of King Hiryuu: Based on a mixture of Yona and Soo-Won. Believe Yona's comparison between the King and Zeno is legitimate, because after death of the King, Zeno appears to have tried to be more like the King to both comfort his fellow warriors (Abi), as well as to be closer to him. Referencing to adorable; believe is legitimate due to both Yona and Zeno's constant use of 'cute' in AoY chapters

#Use of 'weapon': Hak's weapon, according to wiki, has a complicated and uncommon name. 'Weapon' would be a term more of the audience is familiar with. For Shuten, however, weaponry is a spear and thus henceforth will use said term.

#Shin-Ah: changed from 'Shin-ha' in first draft. Apologies for the confusion.

#Complicated childhood: Much disliked and much difficulty in writing. Once again, apologies for the badly done section. However, it is imperative to explain why Zeno accepts Ouryuu's immortality with the words he used in canon. Dead parents, because he does not appear to have any familial attachment in canon or he would not have felt alone.


	2. Chapter 2

II

 _._

 _"_ _They're fighting again…" Zeno sweatdropped. "Don't they ever get tired?"_

 _"_ _Well, it is alright, isn't it?" King Hiryuu chuckled into a hand. "They look like three adorable kittens rolling about one another in a field of wheat, getting along well with each other."_

 _"…_ _Kittens?" Ah, if he squints really hard and tilts his head at the right angle where Guen and Shuten's large canines were visible, and Abi's intense look of concentration appears more like a pout rather than a predatory attack, Zeno can certainly see that. As soon as that thought came, Guen pounced on Abi and Shuten took the opportunity to poke Guen with his spear, and the image disappeared. "My King, Zeno sometimes think that your complacency is infectious; Zeno cannot believe I almost agreed with you."_

 _"_ _Ahaha! How harsh, to call me complacent," Hiryuu laughed._

 _"_ _It is the truth, isn't it? It's because you neglected to remember that the tea was hot that this fight started." Zeno deadpanned._

 _"_ _To think they would fight over tea…although Abi's tea is delicious as always." The King beamed as he sipped said tea. It was getting cooler after the trio had begun to fight, but well, Abi would always be there to warm it for them, so there was no worry._

 _Turquoise eyes observed him, once more taking notice of the dragon crest hanging from the King's neck, and he smiled._

 _"_ _They would fight over anything related to you, my King. Zeno was under the assumption that you already knew that." He stretched lazily, curling a wisp of blond hair as he admired his dragon brothers. (It disturbs him mildly sometimes, how, even in a dream, he is unable to fully get rid of that polite speech he used to use around King Hiryuu.) "The four dragons adore you, so we would do anything to protect you from any threats – even tea. It may be best to remember that."_

 _The King blinked and smiles, a small curve of the lips that contradicts the bitter-sweet sadness in his eyes._

 _"_ _Occasionally, I truly wonder if your loyalty is simply due to the dragon blood bounding us together or if it is part of your feelings. Even now, when our past has been spun into a legend, a tale for the children of Kouka, I am still unable to figure this out." The softest of sighs fell from his lips as he removed his fingers from the edges of the teacup. Clasping his hands over each other on his lap, the King gazed into the distance._

 _Even if this is a dream, Zeno found himself aching at the forlorn smile that graced King Hiryuu's lips. There was always that sense of duty – the need to do_ something _to erase that lonely expression on his King's face. And Zeno knew just the thing to do that._

 _"…_ _It's both." A blunt answer with a fake smile, he traced the edges of the full moon with his eyes._

 _"…_ _Eh?" Hiryuu stares._

 _"_ _You've done so much for us, my King, even before we met you. Certainly, the dragon blood may have been the reason we met, but Zeno is certain that even before that, Zeno had already admired you."_

 _The King stared at him with slightly wide violet eyes a shade more royal than the Miss, taken aback by the words. To anyone else, it would have seemed as if the King doubted them, but Zeno knows otherwise. The King always believes in their every word. And Zeno never lies, not to his King at least. Therein lays the reason for his shock._

 _Zeno offered a large grin before leaping to his feet. The field of gold wavers gently under the caresses of the wind as Ouryuu runs through the blades of grass, tackling one distant blue figure with a bark of laughter. Abi struggles under his weight and tumbles to the ground, catching the attention of both bickering Shuten and Guen._

 _"_ _Guys, let Zeno play with you as well!"_

 _"_ _Go away, useless!"_

 _"_ _You'll get hurt, Zeno."_

 _"_ _The King will cry if he's all alone there."_

 _On cue, four pairs of eyes turned to him then and King Hiryuu twitched under their expecting gazes. He heaved a light sigh. It seems like his youngest dragon has grown up and was all prepared to leave the nest. But to think Zeno is even capable of manipulating the other three to his whims…Brushing the blades of grass from his clothes, he stood and strolled towards his four adorable dragons._

 _"…_ _It certainly is lonesome by myself, so if you would please allow me to join-"_

 _"_ _NO! Absolutely not!"_

 _Hiryuu chuckled._

 _._

"Has anyone noticed? Even though we've observed at least an entire day of Zeno's life…we're not hungry yet." Yoon pointed out abruptly.

"Come to think of it…My stomach hasn't grumbled yet." Yona blinked.

"Without Ouryuu calling for food, I almost forgot entirely about it." Kija sighed in exasperation. "But indeed, we appear to be entirely unaffected by all that occurs in the memory – even the flow of time. In fact, I wonder what is happening to our bodies back at the campsite…"

"I hope nothing happens to us. I would hate it if Zeno wakes up before we do and end up having to protect us again." Yoon grimaced.

"That's…" Yona faltered as the group was left momentarily in a strained silence. "W-Well, let's continue on to the next memory. It seems like time has been fast forward again."

Shin-ah remained silent as he thought about his discovery, ignoring the fact that Ao was nibbling absently on his finger.

The scenery changed to the image of a different village, and they saw the two stragglers bowing to an elderly couple with some food in a basket. Then, it changed again to a different village. It was autumn, and the duo were happily walking through a marketplace when Shouyu lifted Zeno onto his shoulders and showed him something. The boy beamed. Subsequently, it was winter, and the duo cuddled up to each other sharing a large kimono. In the inn, they played card games in the candlelight as snow piled up outside. Then, spring came, and Zeno was in awe at the numerous cherry blossoms that fluttered down over their heads.

"Urgh. This is slightly disorientating." Kija held his head.

"…Ao." The squirrel chirped and leapt onto Kija's shoulder, nimbly extracting a peanut and presenting it to the white dragon.

"Thank you for comforting me, Shin-Ah, but I'm good." He sweatdropped.

Their surroundings began to warp once more, but this time, into a village that had been ransacked by an army. Shouyu's hand tightened over his sack while Zeno gritted his teeth, narrowing his eyes at the blood and weapons that were strewn all over the place. Yona jumped as their surroundings flashed, for a moment turning to the image of Zeno's village that night, before returning to the present village.

"W-What was that…?"

"My guess is that Zeno remembered his village when he saw this sight." Yoon stated.

"No one can blame him for it." Jae-ha frowned.

"More importantly…This Shouyu character is shivering." Kija pointed out.

Yona glanced down at the man's shivering hand in surprise, blinking curiously when the grey haired man lifted another hand to steady himself. With a loud breath, he turned and offered Zeno a smile that was clearly forced.

"It appears that this village is a dead end. Let's go, Zeno."

Zeno reluctantly followed.

That night, little Zeno finally asked.

"Why?"

"Why what?" Shouyu placed another stick of fish near the fire.

"Why…aren't you angry? You saw what they did to the villagers, they…"

"It seems like Zeno has calmed down." Yoon noted.

"If I get angry, will that change anything?" Shouyu tilted his head with a helpless smile.

"That seems like a question typical of someone who raised Zeno." Jae-ha sighed. The group remembered Zeno's comment that day before they had retired – About how nothing would have changed if they had known his past, or something along those lines…Collectively, they sighed as one.

"How stupid." Hak stated bluntly.

"Indeed it is." Kija nodded.

"Stupidity is infectious." Yoon folded his arms.

"It kind of makes me mad." Yona said with a tick in her brow.

"P'Kyuu!" Ao stated for Shin-ah.

"T-That's…" Zeno stuttered, looking down.

"It wouldn't change a single thing, not when I lack the resolve to become strong enough to change it. That's why anger is futile unless it is accompanied by resolution and strength, Zeno." Shouyu smiled.

"Somehow, the fact that Zeno knew this when he told us that phrase makes me boiling mad…" Yoon said, his fists clenched and several tick marks all over his face.

The group and squirrel nodded in agreement.

Certainly, they would not have treated Zeno any differently if he revealed his past a bit earlier and told them to let his past be. However, discovering the truth in wake of those gruesome, bloody circumstances…None of the group was the type to lament and linger on passing regrets, but if they had known, perhaps they could have organized their strength better and survived with lesser injuries – to both Zeno and themselves, of course. Yet the fact that Zeno flippantly brushed it off, saying that nothing would have changed, it's almost as if he doubted their resolution to protect him and is preventing them from a chance to even try to do so.

"Then, why don't you try to become stronger so as to change things? You won't even try, Mister Shouyu?" Little Zeno questioned as if he heard their thoughts, tilting his head in confusion.

Shouyu simply smiled and turned away.

"Ah, the fish is ready! Zeno, get the plates ready…!"

"R-Right!"

"Avoiding the question, huh." Hak grumbled.

The night gradually slid by. For the first time, they found themselves lingering around bored as Zeno slept.

"Usually, we would end up skipping parts like this though…" Yoon frowned. "I wonder if something bad is going to happen…"

"Nah. The old man isn't even asleep to begin with." Hak stared nonchalantly at the 'sleeping' blonde.

"E-Eh?!" Yoon and Yona stuttered together.

"His breathing…is uneven." Shin-ah told them.

"Rather than Zeno, it seems like Shouyu is going to do something." Hak pointed out.

The duo gulped.

The grey haired man waited for a minute more before opening his eyes, trailing over to the blonde's side with a sad gleam in his eyes. Plopping himself onto the ground, dark eyes took in Zeno's golden locks almost longingly, and a hand was inches away from touching them when he hesitated and withdrew it. He sighed, a soft wistful sound in the night, and gazed into the distance.

"You're just like your mother, Zeno. Even with that question…"

"Mother?" Yoon whispered, the pieces falling together in his mind. "He knew Zeno's mother?"

"Hey, isn't this an exciting development?" Jae-ha smiled, and Yoon deadpanned.

"Zeno's life isn't a drama for you, you pervert."

"Heh heh."

"Just now…" Shin-ah started for the first time. He wavered under the intrigued looks but braved on. "The medicine…It was for legs…"

"You mean the medicine Shouyu was carrying was probably meant for Zeno's mother?" Yoon questioned, and the Seiryuu nodded awkwardly. "Hm…I wonder just what relationship those two had with each other."

"I wonder if she'd be angry with me if she finds out…" Shouyu continued wistfully. "…That I gave up nobility to help her."

"Nobility…?!" Yona gasped.

Hak whistled in appreciation.

"I'll give him one for the disguise – he doesn't even seem remotely noble. I'll sooner believe that the princess is a noble than him."

"Yeah…Wait. Why are you using me as a benchmark for comparison?" She smacked him on the shoulder.

"Again…" Yoon sighed.

With another sigh, Shouyu retreated to his covers, unaware that turquoise eyes were open and aware of his words.

The scenery changed again to that of a temple. This time, snow was piling up outside the run down building and there were several dozens of patients, all lying within the construct while a handful of others ran about with hot water, sheets, and medicine. Yona herself had jumped when Zeno ran through her, blond locks fluttering in the air as he carried a bucket of hot water.

"Princess, it's kind of hot here, but I wouldn't mind if you truly want to cling to me for warmth." Jae-ha grinned as Yona gasped, realizing she had unintentionally backed into the pervert's embrace.

A moment later found Yona in the crook of Hak's arm as the Dark Dragon lifted his weapon to the Ryokuryuu, a tick mark on his head.

"Is that so? Then, how about we just throw you out there into the cold?" He gritted out.

"Ahaha…It's a joke, Hak! Don't take it too seriously!" Jae-ha laughed.

"Is this…a clinic?" Yona wondered aloud as she gazed at the patients lying all around them. Some were whimpering in their sleep, others groaning, all alone, whereas only a select few had their family with them. She was reminded of the clinic that Tae-Jun had set up…but the mood was somehow different from the cheerful one there.

"It is, in name only." Yoon answered her, looking longingly at the patients. He wished he could somehow treat them, but then again, it's impossible. "I've read in a few history books that in the past, when medical progress was still incomparable to that of our time, there used to be quarantine chambers such as these that were set up during the spread of diseases."

"…Quarantine chambers…?" Yona didn't like the sound of that even though she didn't understand it.

"To put simply, it's a place where they leave the diseased for the dead, so as to prevent the healthy part of the population from catching it." Yoon narrowed his eyes at a coughing woman behind them.

"That's cruel…!" Yona gasped, hand flying to her mouth in shock.

In that instance, all she could think about was the numerous weakened and sick people they had came across in their journey as the Happy Hungry Group and Dark Dragon, all abandoned in the forlorn, infertile lands of the Fire Tribe, hopeless without their fathers, sons, and brothers, but struggling hard to survive. Yona may not have seen much, but she at least knew of the tears that those people shed each time they are shown even the tiniest amount of compassion. It's…maddening…And Yona wondered when, if ever, this situation will change, if it already existed since two millenniums ago.

Her hands twisted her dress as Hak watches on, an otherwise nonchalant expression on his face.

"It's one reason why this place is so understaffed. If anything, the family members who come to visit will probably be shunned by their village as well, should they return." Yoon predicted.

"It's terrible." Jae-ha stated.

"Such a heartless practice…though given their lack of options, we have no right to judge." Kija closed his eyes. He could never imagine abandoning his sick Grandma in a place like this, ever, but by tradition, the village of the Hakuryuu was always ready to leave the past for the future. All for the greater good, as his Grandma would probably say.

"From the looks of things, the old man and his old man are helping out as they pass by." Hak observed.

Yona blinked and chuckled.

"'The old man and his old man'…?" She giggled.

"There're many old men here, so you can't blame me for it." Hak defended.

"Jeez…Just call Zeno by name already!" She exclaimed, exasperated. Yona smiled as she watched eight year old Zeno and Shouyu run about desperately, attempting to help as many people as possible. "Shouyu's expression…seems to have changed." She noted curiously.

"It did, didn't it? And from the looks of it, I guess it is old man number 1 who changed him…" Hak folded his arms and leaned against the wall.

"…Old man number 1…?" She giggled. "How do you know, Hak?"

"I've seen it happen before, that's why." He sent her a pointed glance, to which she tilted her head in puzzlement. "An idiot being changed by an oblivious and stubborn child. It's a scenario I've seen so much it's slightly sickening."

"Who are you talking about?" Yona cocked her head to the side.

"Nobody." He grouched.

"Poor Hak…" Jae-ha snickered off to the side and was met with a kick.

'Yona…You really ought to figure it out soon, for the sake of my health.' Yoon thought wryly as he glanced at the girl.

"I wonder if there's something wrong with my heart." Kija wondered absently while Shin-ah hovered over him in silent worry.

"But really…Little Zeno is cute." Yona smiled as she watched Zeno smile and clap with a younger, sick child. "Even when he was young, Zeno was good with children." She was slightly relieved that it was not simply because of his eternal physical age that he was always so good with kids.

"Zeno, the sheets are ready." Shouyu called out behind them, and the group turned to look at him, only to freeze in shock. Zeno's smile contorted into horror when he saw it.

"S-Shouyu…Y-You're…"

"…What?" Shouyu smiled wryly, even as the blood dribbled from his lips. It took him three seconds to notice something trickling down his chin, and the fact that the wood beneath him was turning red and the world was spinning – "Ah-…" He tumbled. Zeno raced to catch him, but was still too late.

"Shouyu…Shouyu-…!" Zeno cried, shaking the man's shoulders.

"…Shouyu…It can't be…" Yona shivered and suddenly regretted their moment of complacency. They…had promised to watch all of Zeno's memories carefully, hadn't they? Why did they become so distracted in that moment when Zeno was suddenly facing more doubts than ever? With determination, she swore once more to look at Zeno's memories more carefully, unwilling to leave Zeno alone in his challenges, even if he is unaware of his audience from the future.

Their surroundings flickered and time fast forward. It was night, and the positions were changed. Suddenly, rather than the patients before, Shouyu was the one lying in bed and Zeno was grasping his hand tightly.

"…Don't die." Zeno sniffled, and Shouyu smiled.

"You know it's impossible."

"Don't leave me alone." Zeno hid his tears just like back at his village, when he confessed his fears, and Yona was reminded painfully of their own Zeno, the one from their own time who was never truly selfish or asked anything of them. Their Zeno had always given without taking, and in the oddest way now, Yona wonders if it was because of this – If it was because each time Zeno had acted remotely selfish, his most precious people were taken away from him, and he still subconsciously fears that their gang would leave him if he shows the slightest hint of that.

"…I can't." Shouyu breathed.

The winter outside feels colder than it has been in the morning, and a white gasp of breath left Zeno's lips as a bead of tear fell onto Shouyu.

"Will he…tell him?" Yoon asked softly then, overlooking the duo. "Though it's still nothing but a hypothesis…Will he tell Zeno of his relationship with his mother?"

"Probably…He would not." Kija predicted, lowering his head. His always clear blue eyes were hooded, beautiful face twisted into a grimace as his claws tightened in helplessness. "It is as he always likes to say: Nothing will change if he tells, and it is true this time because there does not appear to be sufficient time for things to change…However cruel this reality may be."

"…Leave me, Zeno." Shouyu says suddenly. "Go on and travel around the world, just like you have done with me, previously. Please…"

"I don't want to." Zeno hid his face away.

"Please…Stay alive, Zeno." The whispered words brought about a flash in the world once more.

"Leave me, Zeno! Run! Stay alive no matter what happens to me!" A woman's voice shouted in the distance before flames swallowed everything and blood overflowed. Then, Zeno was running into the forest, feeling so very, very hungry and pained and cold, and he hid himself away, crying silently for days on end until he decided to return…only to find that everyone was killed a-and…Yona gasped at the vision of a blond woman, blue eyes emptily gazing at the blue skies, then Zeno was running away from the village, screaming and crying again and-

"…Zeno…" Yona whispered, her eyes watering at the pain that grasped her everywhere – a pain that originated from Zeno. A warm hand tightened over hers. She hardly notices Hak as her vision blurs, focusing only on their sun, their Zeno.

"…I don't want to!" Zeno cried out this time, small hands grabbing Shouyu's shoulders tightly.

"Zeno-"

"Don't leave me! I don't want to live all by myself anymore!" He sobbed, and the world flashes once more with his forced smiles and memories of a smiling mother, an empty-eyed mother, everyday, working under the hot, hot heat, smelling rotten flesh, and burying his mother. "Please…just…Don't leave me alone…Dad…"

The whispered word brought another surge of tears, this time from the adult himself. Shouyu closed his eyes and brought a hand to Zeno's head.

"…Sorry…please…survi…"

Zeno looked up and gasped. Beyond the blurry vision covering his eyes, the emptiness in dark eyes were all too evident, and like daggers stabbing him, he parted his lips and screamed into his father's shoulders, wailing all too loudly.

Kija looks away, clawed hands once more to his heart again as he was reminded of his own father, while Shin-ah looks on and tears silently trailed down from behind his mask at the memories of Ao. Jae-ha placed a hand around Yoon as the medic closed his eyes momentarily to give some privacy to the father and son duo – even if this happened in the past – and Yona buried her face in her hands as she sobbed out, because suddenly, she recalled her own father and his equally empty eyes.

Perhaps their memories were dragged out by Zeno's grief – for some reason, even though she kept telling herself that she was over it, the memories of that night assaulted her repeatedly, forcing her to remember Soo-Won's glinting eyes, the sword piercing through her father, his bright smile that morning even when she indulged selfishly and ignored him – and the jolts of pain continued now as she felt her own rough hands and the weight of the bow on her back – It _hurts_ , to know that suddenly, in her stable world, he was no longer there.

Hak grunted as he pulled her into his embrace.

It was unknown how long this went, but the torment seemed eternal until their surroundings turned white, a hint that it was switching. They individually prepared themselves for the next memory, some wiping their eyes, others breathing or taking a breather by popping a snack that was offered by a misty eyed Yoon. Yona reluctantly tore her face from Hak's chest, wiping away the tears that were in her eyes.

"Princess…"

"It's okay." She inhaled shakily and forced a smile. "I can't go on crying forever at everything that reminds me of him. I'm sure that in the next memory, Zeno would get better."

She flashed another smile and dashed off to Yoon for one of the snacks. Nobody commented on her red eyes, because they had all felt the same themselves. It is rather ironic, but if there is one thing that certainly connects the Happy Hungry Bunch and Dark Dragon together, it is the shared connection of a painful childhood, or the lack thereof, in the orphans' (Yoon and Hak) cases.

Hak sighed as he stared at his hand and Jae-ha approached him with a pat to the shoulder.

"Don't mind." Ryokuryuu said cheerily.

"-what?" Hak answered in response.

Their surroundings flickered, and they readied themselves for it. Surprisingly, in the next memory, the sun was bright and the snow had mostly melted. Whether the people at the temple chided Zeno to stay until winter was over, or the bright boy himself had decided to stay to help out was unknown, but evidently, Zeno had build good relations with the people of the temple by the time he was ready to leave.

"Take good care of yourself." One man called out, and Zeno smiled. He heaved the familiar sack over his back, saluting him almost childishly.

"Right!"

"Do you have enough money? What about water? And clothes?" Another woman fussed, and Zeno laughed.

"I'm okay! Everything will be fine so long as I can find a river."

"…He plans to live off a river?!" Kija realized, shocked.

"Ah, that plan's typical of Zeno." Yoon smiled while deadpanning.

"Ahahaha…" Yona laughed despite her red eyes, unable to defend the Ouryuu.

On the other side of the spectrum, three people were confused. Shin-ah cocked his head while Ao squeaked to bring attention to his confusion. Jae-ha was smiling as he brandished his leg and Hak tilted his head as well, lifting his weapon curiously.

"Why can't he live off a river?" Jae-ha and Hak asked in unison. Shin-ah nodded twice in agreement with them.

Yoon sighed.

"These wild beasts…"

"You can't-! The river's still mostly frozen at this period of time! Please…take good care of yourself, Zeno!" The woman spluttered feeling more worried than ever, and the child laughed.

"Zeno." An elder suddenly spoke up, and all voices quietened down in respect. The man in question wore robes not unlike a monk's, though – to Hak's interest – he still had hair. ("It's surprising." Hak comments, though he is ignored.) "If you ever require aid, please come to us for help. We would not hesitate to take you in, whether you are diseased or not. We will help you, just as you helped us in our times of need. And just as we have promised Shouyu, we will protect you from everything that threatens you. So just come whenever you require help-"

"I understand! Bye, guys!" Zeno waved his hand wildly, and the elder spluttered.

"I'M NOT EVEN DONE YET, YOU LITTLE BRAT!" He yelled. "Since when did you get so far away already- Come back here, you little monkey!"

"Bye, Elder Tian!" Zeno laughed and raced away from the temple.

"COME BACK HERE-!"

The group laughed in amusement as they chased after Zeno.

Sometimes never change no matter how old one gets.

When they were some distance away from the temple, Zeno panted and hunched over.

"…Weak." Hak stated bluntly. "Look, even the Princess isn't tired yet."

"What do you mean by 'even'?!" She slapped him on the shoulder.

"He's still just a kid, Dark Dragon. And it's better not to measure any human by your standards." Yoon deadpanned.

Zeno suddenly flopped to the ground, surprising them with the motion. Recalling Shouyu's tumble to the ground, Yoon approached Zeno warily with the intention to check his health…until he saw the large grin Zeno wore on his face. With a loud sound that was not that different from a purr, Zeno stretched his body, almost like a cat.

"Waaaah!" He exclaimed happily. Turquoise eyes were closed while his lips stretched into a large smile. "I'm alive…Father…!" He laughed loudly, even as a tear slid down his face and dropped to the ground.

"…He…" Jae-ha furrowed his brows, half in confusion, half in comprehension.

Yona could not find any words to put to this memory. It was happy, but there was a twinge of something that brought an element of doubt to the entire image. Perhaps, she thought in her heart, perhaps, this is when Zeno first started to lie to both the people around him and himself. The start of a journey filled with solitude…until he meets King Hiryuu. And after that? It was just an endless continuation of the torment until he found them.

Yona was starting to understand just a little bit now why Zeno is the way he is. Since he was eight, he has no one by his side until he meets them. There were only people he met in passing, people who come and leave, lived and died…and for all they know, Yona and the group could only be a handful of them. It was understandable why Zeno was so independent. 'It won't make a difference if they knew'…?

…No, if they knew about his uncertainties, Zeno knew he would grow too attached to them, just like he did with his father once, a long, long time ago. That is why he shielded himself with that line.

The scene flickered and changed, but Yona's take away from that simple memory remains to the end of Zeno's journey: The simple realization that they had done possibly the worse thing they could do to their friend – to forcibly rip open his wounds only to leave him with deeper wounds when they pass on, sooner or later.

She felt a pit of growing regret in her stomach, but even then, there was only one thing which she can continue to do – to watch without her eyes averted as the rest of Zeno's memories play out.

Time passed by, made faster by simple flickers of instances that explains everything.

Zeno travelled all around, to villages in the mountains, villages near the oceans, villages that lacked all resources but somehow survived on trade, villages which were prospering and villages on the verge of abandonment… He met different people: the kind ones would often treat him to a meal, the happy ones could spread their happiness with just one smile, the sad ones he try to cheer up with a smile, and angry people could be calmed with apologies, promises, and smiles, though more often than not, they're most angry at themselves. People mirror the expression he offers, he learnt, and he used it to survive.

"Somehow, it feels like my impression of Zeno has changed." Jae-ha said, looking thoughtful. "I thought he was a cheerful person, but now…It feels more like his smile is born from the challenges he faced…out of necessity, rather than choice."

"Perhaps this is the reason for his open mindedness." Kija reflected. "He has seen the worse and the best traits of people. Perhaps, this is why he treats all people fairly…even you, Princess. N-Not to say that you're not unique, of course!" He panicked.

"It's fine, Kija. I understand." She smiled. Really, she does. In their group, even Yoon has always given off that pampering feeling, like they were spoiling her too much for her own good. Zeno was refreshing in the way he treated her mostly equally, even if he was gentlemanly in his treatment of ladies.

And as Zeno made a detour one day in his travels, he came across his village.

"This is…" He watches the bustling village from the distance, turquoise eyes intrigued and fascinated by the numerous people who have taken the place of his rightful village, his family. There had been no reason why he went down into the village anyways despite the many flickers of the past which he briefly tormented himself – and them – with, but he went anyway and travelled until the far end of the village, where he had buried the people of his hometown.

When he reaches the end, Zeno smiled.

"This…" Cherry blossoms fluttered down lightly upon the many gravestones that were planted there.

Clearly, the new settlement had dug up all the messily dug graves and replaced them into better, more respectable graves. The stones with which he had marked his precious memories of them were replaced with large, engraved stones, worded in the same manner he had done with his stones. Colourful flowers were placed at the front of the cemetery. In the distance, he could see his mother's new gravestone, and gone with the old stone was the image of his mother with those empty, blue eyes. Instead, her smile replaced that painful memory. For some reason, he has always thought his mother looks like a chrysanthemum with her golden locks and warm smile.

Yona smiled with Zeno, for Zeno, because he seemed truly happy for the first in a long time.

"By any chance, when Ouryuu referred to his village…Was he possibly referring to this new settlement?" Kija realizes, and Jae-ha blinked.

"No- But…that other village where Shouyu was laid to rest seems just as likely as well, right?" He pointed out.

The group gazed at each other and smiled.

"It doesn't matter." Yona concluded, and they agreed.

For the first in a long time since the memories begun, they felt at peace. It was an odd feeling – so much so that they vaguely pondered and thought whether it was due to their own emotions, or because of the emotions drifting to them from Zeno's memories. Both seem equally likely, though really, as with the villages, it matters not. They were here to understand Zeno, and to experience his feelings would help with that.

As time passed, only more good news seemed to come to Zeno.

At the age of thirteen, rumours of a dragon god and a king reached Zeno's ears. Though the boy had shrugged it off simply, passing it as the people being mythical again, the group had smiled at each other in a mix of amusement, anticipation, and curiosity.

Then, slowly, the villages transformed and turned happier. An army was formed, which protected the rights of the villagers from surrounding countries instead of trampling upon them. Rumours of the army travelling miles to bring resources to the villages were passed on, much to the disbelief of even the people themselves. The army overtook the ones from the past who had called themselves nobility, robbing villages and killing the surrounding villages. Starting with the most corrupted capital, they eliminated the darkness, restoring both the Kingdom and surrounding villages' faith in the capital.

One by one, the villages sided with the leader of the army and banded together, trading, prospering, and growing. Three years later, there was not a soul who called the man named Hiryuu a fool when he called the band of villages a 'country' and promised to further their growth.

For the most part, Zeno admired the unknown man from afar, finding his wisdom and great power respectable. Just as Shouyu said, the man must have had power, resolution, and felt greatly about the status quo to be able to change things. And Zeno imagined that Shouyu would have admired the man as well, for despite his claims to not have power, Shouyu have always wanted to spark a change to protect those villages they found trampled on.

Then, one day, everything changed.

.

Author's Note:

#14 Pages 5770 words

# Much gratitude to those who reviewed, favourite, and followed! I know I was curt in the manner I wrote my note in the last chapter so this may make you uncomfortable, but truly, thank you for expressing your interest in this story of mine!

I may sound greedy, and I sincerely regret that I do, but if possible, please favourite/follow/review to tell me how you felt! This fandom requires more than just phantom viewers, and it would really make a huge difference to me. I'll express my gratitude in advance for those of you who do.

#Credits:

\- One Piece: Warm Memories and Brotherly Bonds by RoseDragonWitch for the idea

\- AkaYona: Voices of Heaven Dwellers by Rietto for the beautiful depiction of the original dragon warriors' bonds. It's truly inspiring.

#Reviews:

ryosaku59: Zeno's my fav dragon too! Though this chapter's not as long as CI, I hope you enjoyed it!

Lotus Sword: Though I do think it's a bit lacking, I hope you liked this chapter too.

Sakuramy: Glad I satisfied your yearnings ^^ I was looking for something similar too, but to no avail. Hopefully, I continue to meet your expectations.

Guest: I'm not too big a fan of Yona x Hak though, so I'm glad you liked my portrayal of them. Really though, since most of their interactions consist of pent up frustrations, there's not too much to write besides that, but I hope you did like their section here.

…

# III Sneak peak:

…

 _"_ _That day at our first battle…were you all frightened as well?" Zeno asks with a smile._

 _The four warriors laid on the golden plains after their rough battle, panting as they rested, overlooked by their King who stood off in the distance with a frown that seemed more like a pout to them. As one would expect, the battle had come to a truce between the four warriors. There was simply no way for any one of them to win despite everything: Abi, who uses his eyes, would be paralyzed thereafter until they recovered; Shuten could dance and kick all he likes, but too much damage will only bring Zeno into his dragon state; the same could be spoken of Guen and his claws; and Zeno, despite his tough body in dragon form, had nothing on Abi's eyes and could still be brought down by the other two when still in his human form._

 _It's slightly ironic how their abilities were useless when used on each other. And how strong Zeno's grown, for that matter, but…_

 _"_ _What's with that sudden question?" Shuten growled. Men should just stay down and bond in the afterglow of a battle, with sweat, pants, and silence, but their youngest was as talkative as usual._

 _"_ _Zeno just…wanted to know." Zeno grins. "I've always wanted to know."_

 _What's with that new way of speaking, was what Shuten wanted to ask then, but he keeps his mouth shut for once, his gaze meeting with Abi's for just a moment before the more tactful, albeit at times foul-mouthed, Abi took over the situation. In Shuten's defence though, there has always been a subtle, invisible line between Guen and himself, the battle warriors, and Abi and Zeno, whose abilities lie more on the strategic side. It's more to do with their personalities than abilities though. Not to mention the animals. For some reason, animals just always run over to those two._

 _"_ _Of course, we were scared that day." Abi confessed in a soft sigh. "All of us were, even the cowardly Shuten here."_

 _"_ _Oi! Who're you calling coward, you wimp?!" He knew he shouldn't have left it to the wimp._

 _"_ _Wimp..?! You're maddening as always, you…kangaroo!"_

 _Kangeroo…?! He's calling him that because of his abilities…?! Okay, the man is just asking for an ass-kicking here!_

 _"_ _Come on, children, please don't fight! Make out…for Zeno's sake, kay?" Zeno laughs wryly._

 _"_ _Who would do what for who?!" They barked in unison._

 _"_ _It's 'make up', Zeno…" Guen sighs, and Zeno nods in agreement._

 _"_ _Right! Zeno meant that!"_

 _Guen sighs again and this time shot both the two other dragons a look that had them stiffening. Big Brother Guen is once more renewed…It's never good when that man turns all sentimental on them, especially since most of his anger is usually directed at the so-called older brothers of the dragon family, namely, Shuten and Abi._

 _"_ _That day, we were all about to lose the King before we even served him. It's impossible to not have felt any fear, given the dragon blood in us." He explains curtly._

 _"…_ _Zeno is not asking the Ryokuryuu, Hakuryuu, or Seiryuu. Zeno is asking Shuten, Guen, and Abi." Zeno said quietly in response. In turn, the trio quietened, each turning away in silence. Zeno smiles, a light flush on his face still present from the battle, and repeated his question. "Shuten…Guen…Abi…Were you scared that day when you realized we could be losing Hiryuu before we even served him?"_

 _It took a second before the answer came._

 _"_ _Yes." It was an unceremonious answer, one which had the trio looking over to each other with widened eyes._

 _Zeno paused, taking in their answer with his own wide turquoise eyes, before his eyes turned to crescents and he beamed._

 _"…_ _I see!"_

.

#Next Chapter, the original four dragons' meeting is revealed! Do favourite/follow if you're interested!


	3. Chapter 3

III

.

" _That day at our first battle…were you all frightened as well?" Zeno asks with a smile._

 _The four warriors laid on the golden plains after their rough battle, panting as they rested, overlooked by their King who stood off in the distance with a frown that seemed more like a pout to them. As one would expect, the battle had come to a truce between the four warriors. There was simply no way for any one of them to win despite everything: Abi, who uses his eyes, would be paralyzed thereafter until they recovered; Shuten could dance and kick all he likes, but too much damage will only bring Zeno into his dragon state; the same could be spoken of Guen and his claws; and Zeno, despite his tough body in dragon form, had nothing on Abi's eyes and could still be brought down by the other two when still in his human form._

 _It's slightly ironic how their abilities were useless when used on each other. And how strong Zeno's grown, for that matter, but…_

" _What's with that sudden question?" Shuten growled. Men should just stay down and bond in the afterglow of a battle, with sweat, pants, and silence, but their youngest was as talkative as usual._

" _Zeno just…wanted to know." Zeno grins. "I've always wanted to know."_

 _What's with that new way of speaking, was what Shuten wanted to ask then, but he keeps his mouth shut for once, his gaze meeting with Abi's for just a moment before the more tactful, albeit at times foul-mouthed, Abi took over the situation. In Shuten's defence though, there has always been a subtle, invisible line between Guen and himself, the battle warriors, and Abi and Zeno, whose abilities lie more on the strategic side. It's more to do with their personalities than abilities though. Not to mention the animals. For some reason, animals just always run over to those two._

" _Of course, we were scared that day." Abi confessed in a soft sigh. "All of us were, even the cowardly Shuten here."_

" _Oi! Who're you calling coward, you wimp?!" He knew he shouldn't have left it to the wimp._

" _Wimp..?! You're maddening as always, you…kangaroo!"_

 _Kangaroo…?! He's calling him that because of his abilities…?! Okay, the man is just asking for an ass-kicking here!_

" _Come on, children, please don't fight! Make out…for Zeno's sake, kay?" Zeno laughs wryly._

" _Who would do what for who?!" They barked in unison._

" _It's 'make up', Zeno…" Guen sighs, and Zeno nods in agreement._

" _Right! Zeno meant that!"_

 _Guen sighs again and this time shot both the two other dragons a look that had them stiffening. Big Brother Guen is once more renewed…It's never good when that man turns all sentimental on them, especially since most of his anger is usually directed at the so-called older brothers of the dragon family, namely, Shuten and Abi._

" _That day, we were all about to lose the King before we even served him. It's impossible to not have felt any fear, given the dragon blood in us." He explains curtly._

"… _Zeno is not asking the Ryokuryuu, Hakuryuu, or Seiryuu. Zeno is asking Shuten, Guen, and Abi." Zeno said quietly in response. In turn, the trio quietened, each turning away in silence. Zeno smiles, a light flush on his face still present from the battle, and repeated his question. "Shuten…Guen…Abi…Were you scared that day when you realized we could be losing Hiryuu before we even served him?"_

 _It took a second before the answer came._

" _Yes." It was an unceremonious answer, one which had the trio looking over to each other with widened eyes._

 _Zeno paused, taking in their answer with his own wide turquoise eyes, before his eyes turned to crescents and he beamed._

"… _I see!"_

.

"We are visiting quite a lot of market places." Kija observed, confused. "Yet…How do the peaceful lives of the villagers act as an influence in Ouryuu's life?"

"Well, Zeno is seventeen physically, and right now, he seems to be approaching that age." Yoon answered, blue eyes skimming the ancient goods around them in excitement. "According to the founding legend, King Hiryuu should be captured soon by the enemy. Until then, I suppose we're just observing Zeno's growth as he travels around the region."

"-or not." Jae-ha suddenly spoke up, green eyes narrowing to slits.

"Eh? What do you mean?" Yoon tilted his head up to gaze at the green dragon.

"This village…" Yona grips her bow in discomfort. "It's almost like Awa. The people's eyes are…lifeless."

Hak shot her a concerned glance, recalling the events at Awa. Tersely, he elaborated while looking at a seemingly cheerful Zeno, who was skipping through the village. Turquoise eyes were calculative, carrying a wisdom which has accumulated during the blonde's journey. It seems like Zeno has noticed as well.

"From the looks of things, I'd say that the King has already been captured, or is going to be captured very soon. The ancient myth is quite vague, so we don't know exactly how things will pan out, but...This at least seems to be the turning point for the old man."

As if to prove their point, Zeno suddenly turned and skipped over to a street store. Dropping coins into the vendor's hand, he took the offered bowl of porridge with a grin and plopped down at a table arranged not too far from the store. For the longest time, the vendor stood at his store without a customer in sight before he sighed and joined Zeno at his table, propping his cheek up with a hand.

"…You just want to talk, don't you?" The gruff vendor gave a dry smile. "No one eats a bowl of porridge for nearly an hour, kid."

"It seemed like a quarter of that time for us though." Yoon deadpanned.

"Well, is that bad?" Zeno smiled back with false cheer, but with intelligence gleaming in his eyes. "No one seems to be buying anything anyways, and all the other stragglers seem to be avoiding the more popular villages for some reason. I figured Mister Vendor would be bored of standing for so long."

"I was." The Vendor wryly, entertaining Zeno. "Well, considering a poor straggler like you paid such a huge sum, I'd feel bad if you left with only that small bowl of porridge, so I might as well give you some information…though it's just general knowledge. What do you want to know, boy?"

"Since prices have all been skyrocketing recently, it's obvious even to me that the taxes have risen dramatically." Zeno rocked back and forth on his stool. "I just want to know why, and what the citizens of Kouka plan to do about it."

"What the citizens plan to do about it…? Are the citizens not helpless in this case, just as with the Fire Tribe of our time?" Kija questioned.

"That is a bit different." Yoon stated. "In our time, not only is the tribe's army well established, the villagers were weakened from starvation, disease, and lacked the manpower required to put forth a powerful opinion which would be considered. But here, the King is chosen by the support of the people, rather than by birthright, and the kingdom has yet to be established fully in these three years. The citizens can oust him if they desire."

"You really don't know anything, do you, White Snake?" Hak taunted with a smirk.

"S-Shut your trap!" But Kija flushed in shame.

"What about you, Hak? At least Kija's ignorance appeals to the princess as cute – unlike a certain somebody whose entire being is disregarded-" Jae-ha kept his smile even when several strands of his hair fluttered away under the force of Hak's attack. "Ahaha…Sorry, it's my bad, Hak."

"I will stab you."

The vendor blinked in silence for a moment and smiled.

"Unfortunately, I can't answer both your questions, lad. For a start, nobody knows about that 'why' the King's suddenly increasing all taxes. Initially, we thought it was for a government project so we offered our savings to him, but it took a month before all our savings run dry and the taxes were further raised, then did we realize that the project was to suffocate and kill us." The man's smile did not match the hatred and helplessness in his eyes. His hand gripped the edge of the table tightly, and turquoise eyes flickered to it momentarily.

"…As for the second question?" Zeno kept his smile plastered on his face. "What are the citizens planning to do?"

Silence passed for two beats before the vendor imitated Zeno's bright smile and leaned back.

"I have to return to tend to my store, lad. I wish you well on your journey – wherever you plan to go next." The vendor waved a hand dismissively as he turned on his heel.

"Ignoring the question, huh." Hak scowled.

"Ah, wait-" Zeno stood, but was interrupted by the vendor as he continued, face obscured by his hair though the darkness was evident in his voice.

"It must be nice being a straggler, not having any duties to the nation."

"How could you say such a thing without understandin-"

"Kija, look." Yona tugged the Hakuryuu's sleeve with a sad smile.

Zeno's raised hand stilled and fell to his side. Shadows flickered in turquoise eyes as he gradually sat down, staring blankly at the half-filled bowl before him. The world flickered and flashed, and they saw Shouyu's face, once more calling out to Zeno to live. Inhaling a long breath, they jumped when Zeno smacked himself in the face, the sound catching the attention of the dark-faced vendor.

"What are you doin-" The gruff man sighed.

Zeno raised his head and beamed at the vendor. Tilting the bowl over, he gulped down the remaining contents eagerly and leapt to his feet.

"Thanks for the food, Mister Vendor!" Zeno beamed and skipped away.

"…Huh?" The confused sound of the vendor made them smile.

Zeno hummed happily as he left.

"It's a relief. Zeno is at least healing from his trauma caused by his past." Yoon smiled.

"But that man is still unreasonable!" Kija huffed. "Even stragglers have their own pride! How can he disregard their feelings so simply?!"

"Now, don't pout, Kija." Yona chuckled into a hand.

"I-I am not pouting, princess!"

"It's a bit ironic." Hak tilted his head back.

"What is?" Jae-ha asked.

"That in the end, it's still a straggler that end up saving the King and not them." Hak pointed out.

The group paused at that statement and snickered. They sure as hell hated it when the villagers demean Zeno, but to hear Hak put it that way, it certainly makes the situation a lot better.

"It's a bit like us." Hak smirked.

"Indeed." Yona giggled.

"But from the sound of things, it seems like the citizens are planning a revolt." Yoon observed, looking troubled. "Now even if the King is rescued after being betrayed by his people, there is no way they would want him as a king again, with the issues of taxes and all."

"But what if we consider the current situation as this? The King has been captured and is taken over by an imposter, and there are enemies both within and outside the kingdom." Jae-ha suggested.

"I see. That would make sense." Yoon snapped his fingers.

"An imposter, huh."

"Yup…Eh?" The gang blinked and turned to Zeno in shock.

Zeno narrowed his eyes and turned, gazing at the distant village that he had just left behind. The wind blew and his cloak fluttered, strands of gold tugged out from the collar and dancing with the winds. Zeno tucked a lock behind his ears with a frown, edges of his brows furrowed in a mix of helplessness, comprehension, and weariness. Shouyu's words from that night echoed-

\- " _anger is futile unless it is accompanied by resolution and strength"_ -

"If only I have the power to help…" Zeno whispered softly.

"…I'm taken aback." Yoon sighed heavily. "Even now, he still continues to surprise me over and over again."

"Zeno's amazing…to figure this out all by himself." Yona gasped.

"Or rather, the amount of faith he has in the King is inspiring." Kija's eyes practically glittered.

"The same could be said about you and our princess, despite her character." Hak deadpanned, and Yona frowned, shaking her fist at him.

"Is there something wrong with my character?!"

"For a moment, I thought he heard us, but it doesn't seem like it." Jae-ha sighed in relief.

"Pukyuu!" Ao squeaked.

"…ah." Gold eyes widened underneath his mask as Shin-ah gasped, the sound unnoticed under the usual bantering of the Princess and her loyal servant. His head cocked up to the sky, he found his breath stolen by the sheer beauty of it. "…the Ouryuu…"

Zeno clenched his fists in silence, oblivious to his spectators of both the present and the future.

In that instance, there was a sound.

It was a clear sound, one which Shin-ah recognized as the painfully familiar sound of bells, and Ao squeaked, tiny paws clinging onto the corners of his mask as she remembers that sound.

Their surrounding suddenly flickered to white before overwhelmingly bright shades of gold and yellow filled their visions. They winced at the too abrupt change, covering their eyes for just a moment to shield themselves from the blinding light that attacked them from all directions, before the light dimmed and they became aware of the focus of the sudden memory.

The three dragon warriors gasped. Yoon jumped back, eyes widening. Hak stiffened, grip tightening over his weapon. And Yona found herself staring in awe at the beautiful scales of Ouryuu, twinkling brighter than stars yet more radiant than the sun. For some reason, the sight was just so painfully familiar…she felt almost ready to cry with happiness. Perhaps, it was King Hiryuu in her who wanted to cry at the reunion with one of the Dragon Gods. She could go on for eternity, staring at the fascinating writhing of Ouryuu and the brilliant sparkle of his scales, when a voice spoke.

"…The four dragon warriors?" Yona gasped in surprise, noticing for the first time that memory Zeno had been standing amongst them. It had felt so natural that they did not notice. Zeno continued, as if he had been in a conversation before the memory started. "I am neither a heroic figure nor a veteran; I cannot become something like a warrior."

Turquoise eyes were not condescending despite his rejection, but kind as he informed the dragon of that knowledge. Nevertheless, Ouryuu appeared unwavering as he continued to stare into those turquoise eyes, menacing gaze met unflinchingly.

"But even if it's someone like me…This world…Everyone…" The world flickered momentarily and the smiles of the people they had seen in the past memories were all seen in that one split moment, before being replaced by the frown of the vendor alongside other scenes of carnage, of sadness, of pain. Yona watched with wide eyes. It seems like even when faced with a god, Zeno was still thinking of others rather than himself…and just that made her admire him all the more. "If I can make them just a little bit happier, then…"

Turquoise eyes closed briefly in decision. The world flickered then to Shouyu's dying moment, then to Zeno's mother, and the gang held their breaths in anticipation.

"…That dragon blood…Please give it to me." Zeno stated, opening his eyes.

Ouryuu was silent, unspeaking in all his strength, and noble in the way he continued to search within turquoise orbs, which had narrowed unyieldingly.

"…Ouryuu…must feel admiration and guilt." The thought slipped out for some reason and was met with surprise from both herself and the gang.

"Why would you say that, Yona?" Yoon questions softly in turn, as if too in awe of the presence of the dragon to speak loudly. He glances nervously between Yona, Zeno, and Ouryuu all at once.

"Hm…It's just a feeling, I guess?" She smiled. "For some reason, I think Ouryuu must have been reluctant to grant his powers despite King Hiryuu being in danger. Afterall, if you think about it, an immortal human like Zeno is much closer to being a god rather than a human, and I'm sure that as a god, Ouryuu knows the pain of having to live amongst short-lived creatures like human. I think he must be reluctant to put Zeno through that kind of pain, even for King Hiryuu…"

"I see," Jae-ha folded his arms with a smile.

Shin-ah lowered his head briefly as he recalled Ao's last moments. The man had been laughing, laughing in happiness because he was finally human, and then he had cried and apologized to Shin-ah (although there was never anything to feel sorry for…because Yona came…) for leaving him all alone. Perhaps…Ouryuu was feeling that kind of emotion now? He lifted his eyes to the Ouryuu once more, his breath taken away again by the blinding colour and the rainbow (not gold, in his eyes) rays that were reflected off those polished scales. Suddenly, Ouryuu seems more human than he previously was.

"Rather than that, I think Ouryuu feels like his decision is affirmed, Princess." Hak suddenly said. Under the group's eyes, he unfalteringly voiced out his reasons. "Because Ouryuu chose Zeno even when there are plenty other warriors, and Zeno thought about the well being of other people at this moment."

Shin-ah nodded, knowing it as a fact that the Ouryuu chose Zeno because of his kindness.

"…Well, Zeno is kind, so there is no way Ouryuu would regret his decision now." Kija nodded with a huff.

Yona could feel the warmth bubbling in her chest as she giggled into a hand. These two…They're finally calling Zeno by name. Looking back at Zeno and Ouryuu, she smiled. Both Zeno and Ouryuu are kind, and just a little…it's just a little funny and sweet that this kind human and god found each other. Absently, she found herself thinking about the other dragons and their warriors, her curiosity spiking as she ponders upon the traits they may share with one another.

"…Very well. Step forward and accept my blood then, human." A goblet appeared before Zeno with a spark of light, and he grabbed it without hesitation. Ouryuu calmly lifted a claw to his other claw and nicked himself. From the small wound dribbled the blood of the Ouryuu which was as gold and radiant as his own scales, trickling into the goblet before the wound healed over.

"…The power of the Ouryuu, huh." Hak grunted.

With a smile, Zeno tipped the goblet over and gulped down the blood in one go.

"From this moment on, you are my other half. You will serve Hiryuu as your master, protecting him with your life. You will love him, and never betray him." Ouryuu spoke, his voice booming in the serene, sparkling world as his scales glowed brighter and Zeno blinked as his own body glowed momentarily with that same light.

"…It's the awakening." Kija whispered, awed.

"So this is how things begun." Jae-ha made a strained smile.

"P'kyu!" Ao nodded with Shin-ah.

Yona didn't know why, but it felt like she was watching something grand occurring between Zeno and the Ouryuu. She breathed in awe.

Zeno exhaled as the gold slowly left his body, light disappearing as quickly as it came.

"Ouryuu Zeno." The yellow dragon called out, voice no longer booming and almighty, but carrying an almost human, though sad, tone. "I will always be with you."

"…Huh?" Zeno's turquoise eyes widened, a confused sound falling from his lips. However, Ouryuu glowed brighter, filling the world once more with a blinding golden light, and everything disappeared.

"Ouryuu...understood, didn't he? The meaning of immortality to a human." Yoon said as their surroundings turned to a familiar white.

"It does…seem like that." Yona agreed.

The scenery then changed and they were in an inn. In the moonlight which illuminated the room from the window, Yona could make out Zeno and his mess of golden locks lying within a ragged futon. Zeno inhaled – a soft sound that seemed weary but determined at the same time – and sat up, pushing the covers away gingerly. Turquoise eyes were bright, holding resolution as he whispered to the empty room.

"So…I'm the Ouryuu…huh."

"To suddenly gain the power he desired to help others…Zeno must be delighted, in that moment." Jae-ha noted.

"But with great power comes great responsibility." Kija whispers, blue eyes sad. "…More than anyone, Zeno – of our time – knows that the best."

"…And a certain someone had once tried to escape that responsibility." Hak stated, if only to lighten the mood. The eyes of the other dragon warriors and Yoon travelled to Jae-ha at once. Yona tilted her head in confusion.

"W-Why is everyone looking at me…?" He laughed nervously.

A bird chirped and Zeno jumped, eyes widening at the blue songbird sitting on his window sill.

"…a bird…?" Yona gasped. "…So cute!"

"Pukyuu!" Ao squeaked in indignation, angered that her position in the group is being threatened.

"...Someone sent you, didn't they?" Zeno noted the lack of fear in the songbird as he approached it. He hummed in confusion when the bird's back glinted in the flickering candlelight, blinking rapidly at the thin silver string hanging securely, though certainly not painfully, around the tiny bird's neck. There was a piece of paper rolled and tied to the string. With some amount of effort and patience, he successfully removed the message.

"Let's see here…" Hak leaned over Zeno's shoulder, squinting lightly. "'The King has been replaced by an imposter. He is in the depths of the castle. The attack to retake the castle will be in one month, and…Ryokuryuu, Hakuryuu, and myself, Seiryuu, have awakened'…?!"

"Eh?! The letter is written by the Seiryuu?!" Yona clasped her hands together in shock.

"That's unexpected…I thought all generations of Seiryuu would be as quiet as our Shin-ah." Jae-ha lightly patted Shin-ah on the shoulder. He grinned. "I wonder if we'll be able to meet him and see his eyes."

Shin-Ah quivered lightly under Jae-ha's touch.

"Gh-!" Kija jumped in that moment, suddenly recalling Zeno's comment about his first generation predecessor. He had said that the first generation Hakuryuu is like a boar…Does that mean Kija's rose-tinted impression of the first generation Hakuryuu would be shattered if Zeno meets him? Noooo! (Jae-ha shot him a weird look for all his wiggling.)

"To use his pet as a messenger is quite a novel idea," Yoon hummed but soon focused. "But that certainly confirms our theory. An attack in one month should give Zeno time to train his abilities…"

"…But how does he train…?" Kija asks, discomforted, and they fell silent.

"Wait, there's more on the back." Hak said. Zeno flipped the strip of paper and he continued reading. "'For now, gather what forces you have. Ryokuryuu is rounding up his army. I will be monitoring the situation from afar. Hakuryuu was captured alongside the King, but his forces are joining Ryokuryuu's…Don't drag us down, Ouryuu.'"

The gang fell silent.

"…That's harsh." Jae-ha commented, and they nodded in unison. "On a second thought, I like our Shin-ah better." Again, another nod.

"Well, it's war. One can't be picky about one's allies." Hak said, stepping away from Zeno.

"Pft-haha!" To their surprise, Zeno threw his head back with a laugh. "What a strange person!"

"…Strange?" Yoon blinked. "He means harsh, doesn't he?"

Zeno picked the songbird from its perch, lightly stroking its head. The bird chirped happily, contented.

"You have a kind master, don't you?" Zeno smiled lightly. The bird chirped a melodious tune in return, as if agreeing. "And yet, he's so blunt to humans…Fufu…Seiryuu is a kind but weird person!"

"It's not like Zeno's any better though." Yoon deadpanned. Yona chuckled in agreement.

The scenery changes once more. They found themselves on the road again with Zeno, oddly enough tracing Zeno's steps from long ago.

"We've seen these places before, haven't we?" Yona wondered aloud.

"Yeah, we definitely have, even if it was during a different season." Yoon nodded.

"But…It's astounding how fast he is travelling, even if he has passed through these areas before." Jae-ha complimented.

With each village he passes through, Zeno visits the people he had met before. Some no longer lived at the same residence they used to, so it was made into a futile visit. Others, however, welcomed Zeno with open arms, often letting him stay at their houses. Those who were once angry were now smiling, having achieved what they consider to be a happy ending. Some were angry, some were sad, others did not change from the time Zeno had met them.

The gang understood Zeno's intentions from the first house he had visited.

"Zeno is trying to quell the dissent of the people, huh, by going to their houses one by one." Yoon was the first to speak after listening to Zeno's long conversation with the lady he had once helped.

"It's admirable, just like when Tae-Jun began all those clinics." Yona smiled softly, moved by Zeno's efforts to connect to the people.

"To have the people move out of the danger zones during the attack to allow the soldiers to fight without worries…To enlist their willingness to supply weapons, food, and medicine…To get the villages to call back their warriors who were enlisted in the army to explain the situation…It's a ground up effort that involves everyone. It can make a huge difference if it succeeds."

Hak scowled as he looked away, suddenly reminded of Soo-Won and that kidnapping incident. It's admirable, yes, but at the same time, the memory of his friend-turned-enemy makes it sickening.

"Zeno is…amazing." Kija was in awe.

Midway through his journey, in the woods, Zeno had stumbled. He winced as he scratched his palm on a particularly sharp branch, leaving a large gash.

"Jeez, I'm so careless," The blonde smiled sheepishly and lifted his palm to examine the wound. Turquoise eyes widened as the gash mended itself, skin treading together before the wound disappeared, as if it never happened. "Ouryuu's…power…" He muttered in shock.

"It's begun." Jae-ha stated grimly.

"I just hope he doesn't try to train this power, no matter what means he uses." Yoon said, his face pale and palms clammy. He jumped when Shin-Ah ran into him, throwing him to the ground. "W-What're you doing, Shin-Ah?!"

"…Zeno said…Bumping helps if you're sad." Shin-Ah explained softly, and Ao squeaked in agreement.

"Hah?" Yoon felt an eye twitch.

"…Even when he's not here, he's still helping us." Yona chuckled.

"He's helping in his own way, I guess." Yoon stood up with a small smile. "But Shin-Ah, when you're comforting someone, it's best to bump them softly – like this." He lightly brushed his shoulders up against the older boy. "Because normal people are not as sturdy as Zeno is."

"I…understand." Shin-Ah nodded.

Once more on the road, they watched a familiar blue songbird flutter to Zeno's side from the skies, chirping a familiar song.

"Pukyuu!" Ao leapt off Shin-ah's head, trying to catch it, but passed through the bird and landed instead in Shin-ah's palms.

"Ao." A single word from Shin-ah had the squirrel puffing its tail and squeaking softly.

"...Ah, it's you again." Zeno smiled and lifted a finger for the songbird to land on. "You're so cute."

He stroked the bird's back, earning himself a pleased chirp. Ao squeaked once more, puffing up rather adorably. With practiced motions, Zeno removed the message more quickly this time, extracting a bag of seeds from his bag and offering some to the blue bird. The bird happily ate out of his hand as Zeno scanned the message.

"'The villages you visited are flying under the army's radar. Ryokuryuu has gathered his forces. My forces will depart for the capital today. You are to head for the capital and remain there until we meet.'" Kija read this time round.

"As usual, Seiryuu is adorable." Zeno laughed, surprising the bird which jumped and flew back to his finger. "Why not just say that my villages are all safe and progressing well with the plan? And how cute; He's worried that I'd get captured by the army!"

"Well, I suppose one _can_ interpret his messages in that way…" Jae-ha sweatdropped.

"Somehow, I think Zeno's more amazing for being able to see things in that light." Yoon sighed, exasperated.

"…Seiryuu is looking here." Shin-ah said suddenly, lifting his mask from his face.

"Eh? Shin-ah, you could see him all this time?!" Yona gasped in surprise.

"…No…But…today, he's close…so…"

"I see. But I'm a bit curious. Does the dragons' power actually weaken with each generation? Afterall, Zeno as the first generation dragon appears much stronger compared to our other three…" Yoon observed, before adding. "Not that our other three warriors are not beasts as well, of course."

"Our village do not speak anything about that, but rather, I feel that it has more to do with the amount of experience we obtain." Kija states, the usual pride in his face whenever dragon business is mentioned.

"Experience…But the dragon warriors of this time do not have that much experience either…?" Yoon realized.

"And yet, the Seiryuu of this time can see from a further distance than Shin-ah can." Hak added nonchalantly.

"…perhaps…" Shin-ah shifted nervously under the gazes that were suddenly on him. "…because I don't use my eyes too much."

"…That could be it." Yoon nodded after a moment of pondering. "Now, we just have to see the other first generation dragons to see if there's a disparity between the current and past generations."

Jae-ha and Kija shuddered.

"Why do I feel like I'm being examined like a specimen right now…?"

"Me too." Kija hugged himself.

"What is the Seiryuu doing, Shin-ah?" Yona asked, and Shin-ah lifted his mask again.

"…He looks angry."

"My!" Yona placed a hand on her lips and smiled. "Do you think the Seiryuu could lip-read?"

The gang turned to each other and grinned. It would be interesting watching a responsive Seiryuu meet Zeno, especially after all the things Zeno has said so far about him. Shin-ah just tilted his head in confusion.

"…Right!" Zeno suddenly leapt to his feet, sending the bird flying back to its master. With a smile, he heaved his large bag onto his back. "One last village to go!"

The gang followed after him, their usual banters in the background.

"Stay safe." The village elder – the same one who had taken care of Zeno after Shouyu's passing – smiled softly in the next memory, wrinkled hands lightly patting the teenager's face and eyes filled with tears. Zeno was smiling, even as turquoise eyes took in his head full of white hair, unlike the grey it was years ago, and the greater number of wrinkles on his face and hands. "Don't die on me, monkey brat. Don't die before me. If you do, I'll go to hell and drag you back."

Hak stilled, suddenly reminded of Mun-dok when they parted. He'd bet the old man is doing well in their own time. Perhaps. He hoped.

Pale hands reached up and held the wrinkled hands touching his face. Zeno grinned.

"You stay safe too, old man. Make sure this village get evacuated in time."

"I will."

"I've always thought that Zeno's a bit too much like Kija…always volunteering to look after the elderly and all. In retrospect…perhaps this is the reason." Jae-ha voiced his epiphany.

"Zeno and I share many similarities, surprisingly." Kija beamed. "We're both well loved and taken care of by kind hearted people."

"And you're both adorable." Yona chirped in, teasing the now red-faced, spluttering white dragon. "Fufu."

"P-Princess-!"

"It's a bit strange." Yoon said, ignoring the noises of the usual banters. "Time is passing faster in Zeno's memories."

"Perhaps it's because he doesn't remember much of these events at this period of time?" Hak suggested. At Yoon's confused look, he went on to explain reluctantly. "War veterans often end up blurring the line between reality and fantasy, especially since they're too traumatized from the killings. It's possible that Zeno lost a few of his memories along the way."

"If that's true…Then in the future, with all the fights he's went through…It's likely that Zeno lost more than a few hundred years of his memories, isn't it?" Two pairs of blue eyes widened simultaneously at the possibility and Yoon and Hak exchanged looks.

"…Don't tell the princess." Hak muttered.

"I know." Yoon nodded in return.

The memory changed. The moment he saw skin everywhere, Hak's hands flew to Yona's eyes.

"Erm…Hak…"

"What is it, princess?" He deadpanned.

"…I saw it already." Yona's face was red under the tanned hands, and Hak gave a long and weary sigh.

"The hot springs, huh." Jae-ha smiled. "Well, one must learn how to relax every now and then."

Zeno exhaled softly as he leaned against a rock.

"Jeez, even in the past, he still doesn't tie up his hair." Yoon complained lightly as he squatted beside Zeno.

"This must be the capital, if Zeno is able to take it so lightly." Kija stated. Shin-ah nodded beside him in confirmation, observing the Hiryuu Castle a mild distance away from them.

"Hot springs are nice…" Zeno closed his eyes, and the gang with the exception of Yona yelped when Zeno begun slipping into the waters. "Seiryuu is – gurglegurglegurgle…"

"The idiot!" Yoon yelled, leaping to his feet. "Somebody, save him!"

Kija tried to grab Zeno with his claw but to no avail. Shin-Ah looked around, panicking.

"Don't look at me. I'm preserving the princess's innocence right now." Hak deadpanned.

"You really deserve your name, Dark Dragon!" Kija reproached, panicking. "Aaah….Aah…what do we do?!"

"Well, it's a memory, so shouldn't someone come and save him right about now-?" Jae-ha's smile froze when a familiar shade of green fluttered before his eyes and a tan hand grabbed Zeno by the neck, pulling him above water level.

Messy bangs framed a sharp face, long green locks pooled around the owner's head, a single curve inwards mid-section of the hair indicating a preference to tie the long green locks up constantly. Sharp purple eyes were bored and mildly disgruntled and sharp teeth were bore as the well built man gave a groan of disappointment at Zeno, who blinked up at him innocently with turquoise eyes.

"Jeez...And you're supposed to be Ouryuu?" First Generation Ryokuryuu exclaimed, exasperated.

"…Eh?" The gang were in unison once more. They share the same thoughts quite often these days.

"Ahaha…you're Ryokuryuu, aren't you?" Zeno beamed.

A switch of scenes, and Hak released Yona, who has been clinging to him too closely (in his opinion).

"…Somehow, I regret pointing out that someone would be saving Zeno." Jae-ha found his eye twitching as he gazed at his predecessor, all temperamental and feral and so…unlike Jae-ha, in most areas. "He seems to be quite lacking in elegance."

"Like you?" Hak smirked.

"Not at all. I'm elegant, unlike him." Jae-ha didn't even bother shooting a tease at Hak this time round. "But long ago, it was said in my village that the first Ryokuryuu led the first generation of the Wind Tribe in his early days, so I was expecting someone grander."

"Ah, I can definitely see it." Hak and Yona nodded.

"You guys…What exactly is the Wind Tribe like?" Yoon sweatdropped.

"I am Ouryuu, as you already know, and my name is Zeno. Nice to meet you." Zeno bowed happily with a bright smile.

"…Weak." Ryokuryuu narrowed his eyes. "Small. Weak. And useless. What's your power?"

"That settles it. I definitely don't like him." Jae-ha stated blankly.

"I think it's amazing that the ability to irritate is passed down through all generations of Ryokuryuu." Hak said instead in a deadpan.

"To think that the first generation Ryokuryuu is this crude…" Kija held his head as he became disillusioned.

"How harsh." Yoon said. Both to the current generation of dragons, as well as to Zeno. "Perhaps all the first generation dragon warriors are this harsh? That'd make Zeno the odd one out…"

"I have a strong body!" Zeno answered with a bright smile, recalling what happened in the forest.

"Huh." Ryokuryuu became more turned off, if that was possible. "Well, anyways, I'm Ryokuryuu, Shuten, if you want my human name. My power's the ability to jump high heights. Hello and goodbye, Ouryuu."

"Ah, wait!" Zeno chased after the green dragon. "Aren't we supposed to team up together and wait for Seiryuu to arrive according to the plan?" He asks in a hushed whisper.

"No, thanks. I think if I have to work with you, I might as well work by myself."

"Come on, Ryokuryuu! Don't be like that!"

"Hm."

"It's all for the sake of the king!" Zeno exclaimed softly.

"It's surprising how Zeno is so akin to Kija." Yoon deadpanned, panting lightly as they chased after the running duo.

"How is he like me?" The Hakuryuu questioned.

Shuten halted suddenly, causing Zeno to stop as well.

The gang tensed when they saw the expression on Shuten's face. It was disgust, mixed with a tint of anger and hatred, and for the moment his expression was directed at Zeno, they became more aware than ever of the spear within his hands and the fact that Zeno of this timeline lacked knowledge on how to use his abilities and was practically powerless in a battle. It was an instinctive reaction, disregarding the fact that they could not even touch Shuten. Hak clenched his jaw. Yoon leaned forward, tightening his grip over his medicine bag. Kija lifted his clawed hands, Shin-ah reached out for his sword, while Yona touched her bow lightly. And Jae-ha lifted his leg.

"As I thought, I don't like him." Jae-ha stated darkly. "This 'Shuten'…I want to kick his face in."

But Zeno was fully capable of protecting himself even without power.

As if sensing the switch in emotions, Zeno's face darkened likewise and dropped the cheerful smile he carried. Instead, turquoise eyes became hooded as he stepped forward, ignoring the defensive manner in which Shuten tensed.

"…Even if you hate the King, you should at least fight for your people, Ryokuryuu." Zeno smiled, but it was an expression accompanied by the steeling of eyes and tightening of lips. "That's what people with power should do, right?"

Shuten glared for a moment before he inhaled and swivelled on his feet.

"…You're so akin to that blockhead king that I feel like kicking you." He spat.

"Wha-?" Yona felt like she was having a whipsplash.

"Is he a woman or what? Having such fluctuations in moods…" Hak yawned, relaxing at once.

"Just what was that just now…" Kija sighed.

Jae-ha narrowed his eyes at his predecessor.

"Thanks for the compliment." Zeno grinned and bowed dramatically.

"Stop faking already, Ouryuu." Shuten glanced at him from the corner of his eyes, lips turned down. "That aspect of yours is different from the King at least. That person's at least stupidly honest. Come with me and I'll lead you to the meeting place."

Zeno smiled softly, mildly surprised that Shuten saw through his lies, and followed the Ryokuryuu.

Over the span of the next few days, Zeno familiarized himself with Ryokuryuu's small army. They were a band of hopeful revolutionaries, some of which were soldiers of the Hiryuu Castle, others were men who found out the truth in their villages and wanted to help their villages, and then a small handful were soldiers of the previous King – a king who terrorized the surrounding villages and massacred them as 'training'. Zeno's village had been one of those villages trampled by the barbaric king.

"It is repentance." said Fuu, a bulky man with a weary look of a veteran in his eyes. "In those days, we simply killed because we were ordered to, and because our own lives were threatened. Now, we want to rescue the King who freed us from that hell, if only to show our apology to the people who we hurt."

"…But no matter how much you kill, a life lost will never return." Zeno muttered.

"We know that, but if we can save thousands by killing dozens, then what's stopping us? In the end, we're only killing machines afterall." Fuu laughed bitterly.

Shuten's expression from back there flashed and Zeno asked quietly.

"Do you hate the king for not killing you back when he came into ruling?" He lifted his eyes respectfully. "You don't have to answer if you don't wish to, of course. I just…wanted to know more about my allies."

"...Some of us do." Fuu replied after staring at Zeno for the longest time. He directed his gaze to the mug of water, gulping it down in one mouthful before wiping the remains away from his mouth. "But for me, since I have a son and a wife to return to, whenever I look at their faces, I can't hate King Hiryuu for setting us free. Though if there is one thing I hate…I suppose it's the fact that he allowed himself to be captured."

"Eh…" Zeno blinked, at a loss for words.

"You're the Ouryuu, aren't you? Rumours have been flying around camp about how Commander Ouryuu's going around scouting for personal information." Fuu smirked wryly. "You need to be more discrete or you have no future as a scout, lad."

Zeno flushed, for the first time appearing at a loss before them, and the gang chuckled.

"You found me out…" Zeno scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, I just wanted to know more about the people I'm supposed to be protecting. Afterall, I know I inherited a strong body, but before potentially risking my life, I just wanted to know exactly what I'm sacrificing myself for…"

"Well, you already know, don't you?" Fuu grinned, peering at the teenager knowingly. "You just wanted to know about Commander Shuten."

"Haha…" Zeno slumped. "…Am I really that obvious?"

"To a veteran who's practiced lying, you're an open book." Fuu stated bluntly.

"I see." He slumped more.

"Shuten was betrayed by a friend." Fuu said suddenly. Blinking at the mildly concerned eyes, he shrugged and looked wistfully at his mug. "It's not really a secret or anything. It's just that some of our friends back under the last king's rule got addicted to killing. Said they wanted a kingdom where they can continue killing without care…It gets a bit numb here each time you kill, see?" He pointed to his heart. "Said it was for the last king and went off to capture the very same king who freed us. It's a pitiful story."

"He certainly sums up a lot of things." Hak deadpanned.

"But…Who would like to talk about their tough times, right?" Yona looked down.

Jae-ha glanced over to Hak, suddenly putting in place that odd feeling this whole time. He…and Kija…had certainly seen that expression of Shuten before. It had been on Hak's face that day when he tried to kill the king, only to be stopped by them. Anger, hatred…betrayal.

"…I feel bad." Zeno admitted, frowning lightly. "I reminded Ryokuryuu of that."

"Mh-hm!" Kija nodded in agreement, recalling what it had felt like to approach Hak after that incident. It was quite horrible.

"I know. He came back with quite an expression that day." Fuu snickered. "But you don't have to feel bad. You didn't know, and it's our problem for not having gotten over it yet."

"But…"

"If you really want to express your apologies, then…Let me see…How about you win this war for us? Then we'll call it even."

"'Even'…Do I owe you a debt or something?" Zeno sweatdropped.

"You can call it that, I guess."

"What's with that?" Zeno chuckled.

"…Zeno's really an old man, sympathizing with an old man." Hak concluded.

"Be a little more sensitive here, Thunder Beast!" Yoon slapped him lightly on the shoulder.

"But Shuten is at fault afterall." He stated, earning strange looks from the rest. "What? It's true that he has a sad story and all, but that does not give him the right to treat others that way."

Kija and Jae-ha looked away secretly with knowing smiles while Hak merely cocked his head in confusion.

The scenery changed and the gang found themselves in various states of amusement. Before them, Zeno was clad in the uniform of the army. As one would expect, the sleeves covered more than just his fingers and the trousers were much too long, pooling around his legs. Even the armour made him seem like he was wearing a dress instead.

"Ryokuryuu, is this some sort of ploy to ruin my reputation…?" Zeno asked, sweatdropping.

"You have no reputation to begin with, so don't worry about it. Go on and rescue the king, weakling." Shuten gave him a thumbs up.

"That hurts! What would the girls at my villages think of me if they heard that I wore a uniform four sizes too large to infiltrate the army?!" He questioned, exasperated.

"Well, I think Zeno is cute." Yona beamed.

"Well said, Yona!" Yoon clapped for her.

"Come on, Useless, it's all for the people, right?" Shuten smirked ferally and folded his arms. "Besides, you suck at lying. I can totally tell that you don't mind this, do you? _As long as it's for the people_."

Zeno sighed.

"I like this guy." Hak smirked.

"Seiryuu should be in position. Make sure you go in and rescue that brute, Hakuryuu, and cause as much of a chaos as you can when finding that blockhead King. We'd be behind you soon."

"Right, right." Zeno sighed.

"Things are moving quite fast." Yona noted, causing both Hak and Yoon to still momentarily.

"They are, aren't they?" Yoon looked away.

"Well, war always progresses fairly fast." Jae-ha smiled before his expression turned mildly worried. "It'd be nice if Zeno somehow don't get discovered though. I'd rather him not get injured again."

The mood became more solemn as they recalled Zeno saving them and the gang nodded in agreement.

The memory flickered, skipping Zeno's possibly onerous task of infiltrating the Hiryuu Castle. Their surroundings darkened considerably, lit up only by a handful of candles. In the moment it took their eyes to adjust, there was a loud thump and a cheerful, murmured apology that was typical only of Zeno. Only after they heard the clanking of keys did they gasp at the scene before them.

"This is…Hakuryuu…?" Yoon whispered, horrified.

"How could they…do this to anyone…?" Yona's hand shakily travelled to her mouth.

"This is my ancestor…" Kija murmured to himself, blue eyes wide as he took in the blood flowing down white claws.

Before them, Hakuryuu was forced down on his knees. With both his shoulders bounded to the wall by large chains, the parts of his shoulder which were visible beneath the chains were blue and black, evidences of his pained writhing during the periodic tortures. Knees were forced to the ground in the position, bruised and bloody and ankles chained as well to the ground. Jae-ha planted a hand to his lips to prevent from retching. It reminded him too much of his own conditions back in his childhood.

First Generation Hakuryuu lifted his thick neck, causing neck-length silver locks to tickle his shoulders. Kija would have been comforted by that one familiar colour which was the trait mark of their clan if those same silver locks were not tinted red and brown from the dirt and evidently, too many beatings to the head. The blue eyes which peered up at them were the same as Kija's, yet not, withholding a scarcely hidden ferocity that was more typical of Hak, mixed with a dreamy quality, as if he was half asleep.

The clink of keys drew their attention to Zeno, and they were taken aback by the look of sheer fury in those turquoise eyes.

"Scary-!" Jae-ha jumped back. Ao imitated his motion with a squeak.

Then, the look was so quickly replaced by a large cheerful grin it was almost as if they had imagined it.

"Hakuryuu-san! I am Ouryuu Zeno, and I'm here to save you! It's a pleasure to meet you!" Zeno sang indulgently, unlocking the door of the cage happily.

"…Ouryuu…Zeno." Hakuryuu echoed softly, taking more than several moments to clear the blurriness in his eyes. Then, he snorted, a human sound within the depths of this dark cave that one would not have expected from a man who was tortured. "Heh, you're just like that bastard Shuten said. You're a bad liar."

"Well, forgive me for lying to hide my anger!" Zeno beamed, contradicting his words. "I don't like seeing people hurt, that's all."

"We could say the same for him." Yoon grumbled.

"This is nothing, boy." Hakuryuu smiled, lifting his claws. To both Zeno and their shock, he easily broke the chains which were binding him, rising to his feet without any trouble at all. He lifted his clawed hand with a gruff grin, the predatory glint in blue eyes causing most of the group to shiver. "And I'm Guen, the head of the real King's army as well as the Hakuryuu. It'd be a pleasure to meet you too, if we're not in such a situation."

Zeno gasped when he noticed the footsteps of the soldiers above them and the panicked orders thrown about.

"…Seems like that idiot Shuten's infiltrating the castle." Guen stated, leaving the cage.

"Ryokuryuu sure is impatient! We were supposed to cause a ruckus as we leave to rescue the King…Now, there's no need." Zeno laughed in exasperation.

"We'll carry on with the plan." Zeno yelped as he was lifted over a strong shoulder, and Guen gave him a weird look that had Yoon, Yona, and Kija, as well as Ao, squeaking in fear. "…You need to eat more, boy. You're much too light."

"What's with that casual remark out of nowhere?" Jae-ha sweatdropped.

"Z-Z-Zeno was right…My ancestor really is like a boar." Kija hugged himself, still shivering in fear.

Hak looked from the broken chains to the Hakuryuu with a feral grin. So, that man had resisted killing and escaping for the whole time he was tortured, huh. It seems like the White Snake's ancestor was a lot stronger than Hak would have thought he would be.

"…I'm kind of a traveller, so I can't afford that kind of luxury…" Zeno laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"It's amazing how nonchalant he is even when Guen is running so quickly with him." Yoon panted and Jae-ha scooped him up with little effort. Hak carried his princess while the rest attempted to catch up to the running Hakuryuu.

"I find it more amazing how Hakuryuu's running so quickly while carrying Zeno with his human hand." Jae-ha sweatdropped. "He's on par with Hak even as a human."

"Heh. He's interesting." Hak grinned again.

"A traveller? That's no matter. You must come to my village after this, boy. We will make sure to fatten you up to the size you're supposed to be." Guen batted away a few spears and swords with his claws, throwing soldiers at each other.

"You mean…like you…?" The gang yelped when their surroundings flickered to give way to an image of Zeno with the same muscles and height as the Hakuryuu. Then, much thankfully, the world turned back to normal. Zeno's smile twitched. "…Thanks, Hakuryuu, but no thanks."

"It's an inelegant image." Jae-ha added.

"Zeno wouldn't be cute anymore." Yona nodded in agreement.

"Ah! So my ancestor had offered to take him in before-!" Kija realized, causing the others to glance at him in confusion.

"Well, no matter. Once the King sees your state, he would fix you up anyways, like he did with the rascal Shuten." Guen smirked as he batted away another few soldiers with ease.

"I look forward to meeting him." Zeno smiled softly. "The king, that is, even though I have no desire to be force-fed anything."

Guen gave him a wry smile.

"Knowing the King, I'm sure he's looking forward to seeing us too!"

The scene flickered and changed. Zeno, to their shock, was cursing lightly under his breath as he wrapped his arms tightly around a limp figure, the duo nested safely on Hakuryuu's dragon arm.

"Is that-?" Yona blinked, stunned by the familiar scarlet curls. His face was turned away, buried in crook of Zeno's neck, but that colour could only belong to-

"The King." Hak grunted.

"This is bad." Yoon leaned forward in Jae-ha's grip. With a sound of disgruntlement, the green dragon adjusted his hold on their youngest member to allow him to peer at the King's pallid features, but still prepared to dash on a moment's notice. Yoon's blue eyes narrowed and a bead of sweat trickled down his brow. "His breathing is heavy, he's sweating too much, and he's too pale. He's been poisoned-!"

"We'll take him to the pond. That area is the heart of the Hiryuu Castle, where the dragon gods' protection is strongest. We should be able to slow the effects of the poison a little, if nothing else." Guen stated hastily.

Shuten, who they had only noticed for the first time, lacked the feral grin he seem to have on usually as he stepped forward. With a solemn nod, he turned to Fuu and some of his other warriors.

"We'll keep them away until Seiryuu comes. Please follow Guen, Shuten." Fuu called out to him.

"…I'll leave this area to you." Shuten said, eyes taking on a fiercer tinge which they had seen before. "Kill the traitors if they appear."

"We will." Fuu replied in comprehension.

"Let's go." Shuten stated. "Whitey, you just focus on bringing them there. I'll keep them away at all costs."

"…It's not white. It's silver." One of Guen's blue eyes twitched.

"And you, Useless!" Zeno yelped, lurching forward when a painful smack came down on his back. Shuten grinned. "Focus on keeping the Blockhead King saddled to the Hakuryuu. Even with you as the Ouryuu and the other two dragon warriors pretty much as useless as you are, I'm at least capable of lasting an hour against these guys, so don't worry about it!"

"…Oi." Guen twitched again at being called useless.

"…'Other two'…? Does that mean that the Seiryuu has been disabled?" Kija questions, understandably.

"…No." Shin-Ah answered. "Seiryuu is...waiting."

"Waiting? What could he be waiting for in this desperate hour?"

"In any case, it's quite evident that they plan to take over the Hiryuu Castle with one attempt this time round." Yoon stated over the noises of fighting. "There is no reason why the four dragons would take the King to the heart of enemy territory unless they are absolutely confident that the fight will end."

"…Yeah." Shin-Ah nodded, much to their surprise. "Yoon is correct."

"…Shin-Ah, what is it that you see that gives you such confidence?" Kija asked, brow lightly furrowed in puzzlement.

"…The Seiryuu has…an army…?" He tilts his head in confusion at the unfamiliar word and nodded when he ascertain it. "Some of the enemies are running away…and being apprehended. The fake King too…Seiryuu is looking this way."

"Basically, he's waiting to catch the false King before eradicating the rest of the snakes, huh." Hak snorted. "If anything, I'd bet he's just too scared to come down himself to help the other dragons."

"Do not doubt the first generation warriors-" Kija found himself interrupted by Shin-Ah for once.

"…the ones with him are…villagers." He whispers softly, even without a defensive tone, but it was evident that his observations were meant to defend the still evasive Seiryuu. A moment of silence resounded about the group.

"So that's why he's reluctant to split his forces to help the King…" Jae-ha realized. "More so since Zeno was the one who gathered some of those forces and the Seiryuu had promised to keep them safe."

"See?! The First Generation Seiryuu is not cowardly despite what you said, Hak! You should apologize to him when you see him!" Kija pointed a finger at the man.

Hak dug his ear and blew his finger.

"Why should I apologize to a ghost of the past?" He deadpanned.

"…Wait…Something is…strange." Yona said suddenly, violet eyes narrowed with a ferocious glint that they recognized.

Yoon nodded in agreement, having had that suspicion the whole time they were having the conversation.

"We are supposed to see only Zeno's memories, since that was the deal…but how is it that Shin-Ah was able to see beyond Zeno's scope of observation all this time, when Zeno should not even have seen those events happening?" Yoon asked. He paused and continued. "No…To begin with, Shin-Ah, were you even able to see everything around you clearly, or was it just the places that the Seiryuu was at?"

The gang gasped in unison, and even Shin-Ah's mouth was parted in shock as they raced after the two first generation dragons.

"I…I…" He paused, seeming to waver, and touched Ao to gather courage before he answered. "It was only the places Seiryuu was at."

"That settles it." Yoon furrowed his brows as he looked to the gang of the past, who were still running while fighting. "Somehow, in one way or another, we are also seeing the memories of the other first generation dragons for some reason. Or at least, Shin-Ah is."

Yona blinked, eyes wide with surprise.

Did…King Hiryuu know this would happen when he invited her to Zeno's memories?

A sharp turn later, they found themselves at a too familiar pond that had Yona and Hak flinching. It was at this same pond that they had once spent their days with Soo-Won, though that is a tale to tell at another time. Without hesitation, Guen waded into the pond, ignoring the red from his clothes that stained the waters, and placed both Zeno and the King in it. Zeno was still cradling King Hiryuu even as he shivered from the cold.

"…Keep the King safe, Ouryuu." They did not fail to notice how he called Zeno 'Ouryuu' for the first time since they met.

Zeno's turquoise eyes widened and he nodded firmly.

"It's the only reason why we live now." He smiles, and Guen smirked back.

"…Shit." Shuten gasped as a spear slashed him on the back. Without stumbling, however, he turned and returned the attacker a deeper wound from his own spear. The Ryokuryuu was soaked to the skin with blood, both that of his and his enemies, but he remained standing straight, oddly noble even in the crass way he spat as he stabbed the other end of his spear into the stony ground. "Come at me, you bastards. I'll take you all down by myself."

"He's like Hak." Jae-ha suddenly said, smiling wryly at the Thunder Beast's irritated glance. "That time over at Kin Province…You also did something like that, didn't you?"

"He did." Yona affirmed for him.

"…Princess…!" Hak growled in anger.

"There is no denying that you did, Hak. It was reckless of you." Yona smiled.

Hak's fingers twitched as he tried to resist the urge to smash something. The message was clear to all of them, with the sole exception of the innocent Yona as always. Yoon calmly placed a hand on Hak's shoulder to soothe his anger. That phrase coming from the most reckless of them all sure must sting.

"Pitiful Hak." Jae-ha laughed. "Though I must say, I don't feel so bad about having Shuten for an ancestor now."

"Me too." Kija smiled similarly.

"You look lonely like that, Ryokuryuu." Guen grinned as he stepped forward, claws growing bigger. "Why not let me join you for a bit?"

"I am proud of my ancestor, however gruff he may be!" Kija grinned.

"Get lost, Guen. I can handle myself." Shuten lifted a leg, threatening to kick the other away from him.

"Ho? Like the way you did that day when my King and I took over your castle? You were crying when you begged us to defeat the old king." Guen smirked slyly.

"I didn't cry! Stop altering the facts!" Shuten flushed lightly.

"The fact is that you did a terrible job of protecting the castle the last time round when you were in charge of it." Guen stated.

"Well, you're doing an even worse job than I did, allowing both your king and yourself to be captured." Shuten grumbled in return.

"Kill them!" An ignorant, albeit foolishly brave, soldier charged at them, only to be taken down by claws and a kick.

"SHUT IT!" The two yelled. "I did a better job of protecting the castle!"

"…In a way, I suppose this is kind of refreshing." Yoon deadpanned.

"It's not, Yoon. It's irritating. I feel bad for all those times I teased you, Kija. Forgive me, please." Jae-ha gave a small nod in apology.

"No, no, not at all. I, too, must apologize for being overly sensitive most of the time." Kija bowed in return.

"What's with this sudden formality?" Hak deadpanned as he watched them.

"They do say that people learn best when looking in the mirror." Yona giggled.

Time gruellingly slid by. Jae-ha found himself pacing about the edges of the pond as the Hakuryuu and Rokuryuu took down numerous men with seemingly no end. Zeno, too, was shuddering in the pond as he clung on protectively to King Hiryuu, rubbing against the man's skin as if to keep him warm. Yona fisted tight balls of her dress as she watched the two first dragon warriors gain more wounds with time. Yoon made a sound of impatience.

"…What's keeping Seiryuu?" He sighed, exasperated.

"…Enemies from the outside." Shin-Ah answered in response, and he seemed equally anxious about the endless battle.

"The situation must be terrible for Seiryuu to take such a long time. Even though I'm sure he must be anxious about the King's safety!" Kija exclaimed, looking at his own shaking claws. "Argh! If only I could somehow join this battle and help the King…"

"Ah!" Yona rushed forward into the pond, but her arms passed through Zeno as usual. "Look out!"

Hak surged forward instinctively, even if the danger is just a phantom, and shielded the Princess with his body. Zeno yelped as he turned the King over to cover the King with his body, and the other two dragon warriors made similar sounds of shock and horror as they turned around, ignoring the weapons which their enemies threw at them. Guen grunted in pain when a sword slashed his shoulder, while Shuten responded barely in time and deflected an attack. Even so, their attention was still on the approaching swordsman.

"King-!"

Guen's yell had Shin-ah moving, but his hands passed through the hilt of the sword to no avail.

Yoon closed his eyes in horror, unable to see what would happen.

Jae-ha cursed.

Then…the world flickered white, before returning.

"Wha-?" The sound came from Zeno.

Wide turquoise eyes took in the brilliant scarlet red locks that fluttered before him as well as the familiar dagger which Zeno had entirely forgotten he had. A graceful, serene smile, long lashes fluttering rather sheepishly against still pale cheeks, and violet eyes a tad more royal than Yona's gazed into the murky brown of the enemy's eyes. The slightly dirtied, but white kimono that complimented the King's slender frame seemed almost like the wings of angels that descended from the heavens in that instance, and his fiery locks, the flames of wrath of hell.

"I'm sorry. It seems like I scared my adorable dragons." King Hiryuu smiled sheepishly again and retracted Zeno's dagger in favour of a slash, throwing the enemy away from them. "Hm? Guen…That expression's unbecoming of you."

Guen was gaping. Well, actually, all of them were, taken aback by the King's awakening. However, Hiryuu continued with a knowing, though weary, smile, face slanting towards Zeno for a moment as he slid his fingers through blond locks fondly. Zeno twitched mildly at the unfamiliarity of someone else initiating physical contact.

"…So cute! You're all so shocked, it's adorable!" He beamed. "And Seiryuu, do not just stand there, why don't you join us? I'm sure we would all love to look at your beautiful eyes."

A moment of silence came and went before a figure entered from sheltered hallway.

Their jaws fell even further at the sight of the man.

Blue locks a tint lighter than Shin-Ah's framed the small face, some barely pulled up into a bun at the back of the man's head. Several layers of a noble's clothing hung loosely from his thin frame, matched by the beaded necklace that shone around his neck, which gave him an aura which made him seem delicate and demure, just as Hak remembered both Soo-Won and Yona had always seemed, well dressed in pretty clothing at the palace. From the small face which turned to them, as if to emphasize the man's beauty, gold eyes with their endless depths peered out at them, meeting the eyes of each and every person in the vicinity.

"…Pretty…" Jae-ha was the one who whispered that, unsurprisingly. Shin-Ah placed a hand on their oldest's shoulder and Ao squeaked at him softly, as if to say 'Right?'. "Your eyes are that beautiful…Shin-Ah…?"

Shin-Ah retreated at once, fiddling with his fingers. He would not say that they are beautiful…Though as usual, a compliment from the gang never fails to make his chest warm with happiness and slight pride.

A chirp from a songbird was heard before the familiar blue bird fluttered down to land on the man's shoulder.

The First Generation Seiryuu remained stationary as he stared blankly at the eyes of all.

"Ah, Seiryuu's power is-!" Yona leapt forward and was pulled back by Shin-Ah. Their Seiryuu shook his head.

A moment later, they understood.

Without screams, even without breathing, the enemy fell, one after another. Guen and Shuten made sounds of confusion as the foes that they had been facing just toppled, face down, like statues that have been shoved onto the ground. Zeno inhaled sharply as he watched the scene. For some reason, even though there was no blood spilt, no weapons and no carnage, the world flickers for a moment and they saw the image of a dragon, single-handedly brushing aside his foes without even batting an eye.

"His control is better than mine." Shin-Ah elaborated.

The next moment, when all their enemies have fallen, Seiryuu fell, himself.

"Ah-!" Guen toppled while trying to catch him, having been injured in his moment of distraction. Instead, Shuten caught Seiryuu with the edge of his spear and gently lowered the beautiful man to the ground.

"As expected, those eyes are as beautiful as always." Hiryuu chuckled in amusement and took Zeno's hand. "Shall we go, Zeno?"

Zeno did not answer, too shocked to even speak, and was tugged by the King to join the fallen Seiryuu's side.

"...m…y…kin…king…" Seiryuu whispered, eyes frozen but lips trembling with the effort to speak.

Hiryuu sat by his side, tilting his head as an oddly powerless smile came to his lips.

"…Abi." The first generation Seiryuu froze, gold eyes still frozen in their beauty but conveying shock nonetheless. "My brothers have informed me about you, all of you, my beloved dragons." He smiled at their expressions before turning to Seiryuu – Abi. "If I may ask, how long have you been using your powers, Abi?"

"…Half…an hour…" Abi answered in return.

"…That should be at least three days of immobility." Hiryuu's smile was dry this time round. He brushed blue locks away from his face, tucking them behind Abi's ears gently. "Please go to sleep, Abi. You must be exhausted from such long usage of your powers, even if we are at this castle."

"…no…villa…gers…" Fingers curled around long sleeves and Zeno barely stopped a flinch as Abi lifted his head to stare at him. "...Ki…ng…Help…them…"

"Seiryuu – Abi - is…kind." Yona smiled softly. "He's like you, Shin-Ah." She chuckled.

Shin-Ah just tilted his head to the side, confused.

"…I understand." Hiryuu smiled softly yet sadly, brushing blue locks again for one more time. His violet eyes seem to be watering with barely withheld tears as he stood, nodding at Zeno. "Guen, Shuten, we are leaving. Zeno, please stay and look after Abi for the time being. We will return soon."

"Ah…" Zeno blinked as the trio left wordlessly, the bantering between Guen and Shuten fading into the distance. Hesitantly, he looked down at Seiryuu and sighed, lifting Abi's head gently to sit him on his lap.

"…Wha…you…" Gold eyes looked like they would cringe, if they could.

"It seemed kind of painful sleeping on the floor, you know?" Zeno grinned. "And I kind of need comfort for having to be protected by the king, even as sick as he is."

"…Come to think of it, he was poisoned." Yoon realized with a sharp gasp.

"…That's right!" Kija blinked. "Yet…the King hardly gave so much as a flinch. How courageous he is!"

"That king certainly has some guts to withstand the pain." Hak commented, reminded of the one other King he served. Blue eyes flashed towards the red haired girl next to him briefly.

A beat of silence was broken by a whisper.

"…I am…the same…" Zeno looked down into golden eyes. They turned away, lidded with shame. "I…failed…the King…"

"…He's…surprisingly human despite his beauty." Yoon noted.

"And more sensitive than his letters seemed to be." Jae-ha smirked. "Seems like Zeno's initial impression was correct afterall."

Oblivious to their commentary, Zeno huffed, offering a smile, and patted the blue locks wryly.

"Now, now…"

"…I'm…not…an animal…stop calling me cute." Abi huffed the last part, gritting his teeth and finishing with just sheer willpower. They were abruptly reminded of Zeno's comments the last time he received a letter from Abi.

"…Eh?" Zeno blinked, tilting his head. "Could you, perhaps, read minds as well?"

Abi sighed.

The gang laughed at the turn of events.

.

A/N: I'm sorry if this chapter failed to impress. It was written couple years ago, but it didn't match my expectations so I never dared to put this up. Unfortunately, I've regressed a bit, so this might be the best version I could have written. Also, until I return to watching AnY, this fanfic might be in hiatus for a bit. I've lost passion in the months disconnected with AoY, and I don't think that's a best mindset to write a fanfiction, both for the audience and for myself.

Nevertheless, on a brighter note, thank you for those who favorited/followed/reviewed! I've checked just now and realized we've passed my favorite Zeno works ('That which never tarnishes' and 'Voices of Heaven Dwellers', inspirations to this fic) to the third most popular Zeno work in this fandom. How about that, huh! I want to say a big thank you to all those who made this happen. I thought this story would be another flop, but I'm glad you liked it. Regardless of the hiatus, I hope you would continue to support this fic even in the future, when I publish new chapters!


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